Man Charged with DUI, Hit-and-Run and Driving without a License

A 22-year-old Florida male driver is facing criminal charges of drunk driving, hit-and-run and driving without a license. He is accused of causing a series of car crashes while driving an SUV in West Melbourne and Palm Bay. One of the accidents allegedly led to the death of a 91-year-old man. The police say that the driver’s blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit. He was held in jail without bond.

According to one witness, the driver hit a few vehicles in the parking lot of an apartment complex. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road where he then collided with one vehicle. Florida police said that the driver then proceeded to turn onto another road where he tried to pass the vehicle in front of him and crashed head-on into another vehicle.

The passenger of this car was the elderly man who later died at Holmes Regional Medical Center. The driver of the car that was hit was a 60-year-old man who was hospitalized with only minor injuries.

At the initial court appearance, prosecutors asked the judge for more time to collect information about the young man’s citizenship status, which may raise additional legal consequences. The total potential fines and jail sentences for driving while intoxicated, leaving several accident scenes and causing the death of a person could be very harsh. It is wise for people who face these charges to seek the help of legal counsel. Trained legal professionals can help ensure that the rights of the accused are protected.

Source: Florida Today, “Police: Driver in fatal crash had alcohol level 3 times the legal limit,” Stacey Barchenger and Rick Neale, Oct. 8, 2012

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