Florida Motorcycle Accident Caused by Drunk Driver Kills One

A man accused of hitting and killing a motorcyclist while driving drunk has entered a not guilty plea to DUI manslaughter charges. This article in the Sun Sentinel reports that the man has a long history of negligent behavior behind the wheel, including a hit-and-run accident, drunk driving convictions, high-speed police chases and many traffic citations. By the time the 31-year-old man was arrested in Miramar in September 2009 and charged with killing a motorcyclist while driving under influence of alcohol, there was a warrant for his arrest in connection with two DUI cases in Maryland.

The September 8, 2009, drunk driving accident resulted in two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI property damage and one count of child neglect against the Miramar man. The man was reportedly driving his fiancé’s nine-year-old daughter to school that morning on Pembroke Road when he struck and killed a 43-year-old Davie man. According to arrest records released by Maryland prosecutors, it wasn’t the man’s first arrest for causing an accident while driving drunk.

The records indicated that a sheriff’s deputy in Maryland attempted to pull the man over for speeding in April 2004, but the man refused to comply and a chase ensued at speeds up to 100 mph. The deputy reported that the man had two passengers in the car when he crashed into the back of a pickup truck and kept going during the chase. He then turned onto the street where he lived and jumped out of the vehicle while it was still in gear. When the deputy apprehended the man, a breath test showed that his blood-alcohol level was almost three times the legal limit.

On July 3, 2006, the man led Maryland State Police on another chase in a reportedly stolen car. The man stopped the car at a dead end and attempted to get out when he was arrested. The man smelled of alcohol, had glassy eyes and slurred speech, and again, his BAC was nearly triple the legal limit. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for a probation violation and the man later moved to Florida. He was issued a Florida driver’s license two weeks before authorities suspended his Maryland driver’s license.

In 2007, drunk drivers killed 1111 people on Florida roadways and thousands more suffered injuries that required hospitalization. Florida ranks third in the country behind California and Texas, respectively, in people killed every year by drunk drivers. If you or a member of your family has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, call Orlando drunk driving accident attorney James O. Cunningham today to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.