According to the Florida Highway Patrol, troopers recently arrested a 24-year-old Bradenton man suspected to be at fault for a hit-and-run rollover accident in Sarasota that resulted in critical injuries to a 19-year-old individual. The suspect is charged with two felonies: leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury and driving without a valid driver’s license. He was also cited for making a left turn into oncoming traffic without having the right of way.
Crash reports describe the suspect making a left turn into oncoming traffic, leading to the driver of a 2018 Audi A3 going tumbling into a nearby hotel parking lot. The vehicle rolled several times before coming to a stop on its roof. Police analyzed security footage captured from the hotel and found the man’s 2003 Kia Sedona fleeing the scene. The identification of the vehicle led to police later finding the suspect and impounding the vehicle.
Hit-and-run crashes have serious consequences
According to the FHP, there were more than 101,000 hit-and-run accidents in the state of Florida in 2018 alone. That number includes minor incidents that do not involve injuries or deaths, but it is still a shockingly large figure.
If you are involved in an accident, you must remain at the scene no matter who was at fault. Leaving the scene of a crash is, at the very least, a misdemeanor. The charges become more severe if anyone was injured or killed in the accident. Felony hit-and-run cases can lead to large fines and prison time for the offender. That would come in addition to any civil litigation filed on the part of victims or their families.
To learn more about what to do if you or a loved one has been injured in a hit-and-run crash, meet with an experienced Bradenton personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.