A man accelerated his vehicle into his fiancé as she stood on a sidewalk in a parking lot. The 65-year-old man from St. Petersburg is reported to have hit the accelerator rather than the brake while waiting for his unnamed fiancé who was applying for a job inside the building. Police believe that the man was drunk and charges are pending. According to www.wtsp.com, the fiancé died at St. Petersburg Northside Hospital.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the woman for this tragic accident.
Accident Statistics
In Pinellas County, there were 13,685 crashes in 2008, according to the Florida Highway Patrol with 1,390 of the crashes alcohol-related. There were 114 fatalities that resulted from crashes that year and 10,135 injuries. The FHP reports there were 39.5% of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related and 9.1% of traffic crashes were alcohol-related that year.
DUI Liability
It is illegal in Florida for anyone to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 and above. If that person is apprehended and they were found to be DUI they could be held liable for any damage they caused to property or other persons. It is when there are many questions that an experienced Florida drunk driving accident attorney and investigator can be brought in to help answer them. If alcohol was involved, were others witnesses to the person being served at a bar or party? There are also other possibilities here such as the driver suffering from a medical condition that caused the accident. The family of the fiancé would be well advised to obtain legal help to make sure that a Florida Highway Patrol investigation is conducted thoroughly and fairly.
