A Sorrento, Florida hit-and-run accident from last December appeared to be over. No one had been charged in the death of a 68-year-old pedestrian out walking his dog, who was also killed. But on Wednesday, June 15, a 26-year-old Lake County man was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and driving without a license. He faces up to 30 years in prison for the felony offense of leaving the scene of a deadly collision after stopping for a moment, backing up, and then fleeing.
The Florida Highway Patrol identified the hit-and-run driver and his truck the next day but it took six months to investigate the case and issue the arrest warrant. The man was taken into custody by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and jailed on $85,000 bail, according to a report in The Orlando Sentinel.
Florida Statute 316.027 makes it very clear that everyone involved in a motor vehicle accident where there are injuries and possibly a fatality has an obligation to stop and render aid. To fail to do so could turn a misdemeanor into a first degree felony with mandatory jail time of at least 15 years.
With nearly 700,000 hit-and-run reports each year in the nation, Florida ranks third in the nation in the number of hit-and-run incidents. Because this is such a problem in our state, the Florida pedestrian accident lawyers at Farah & Farah law firm is a member of Hit-and-Run Reward, a national program financed exclusively by American personal injury attorneys who believe if you report a hit-and-run driver you will not only feel good by keeping a dangerous driver off the road, but you could receive a financial reward of $1,000 for anyone you turn in who is later convicted of the hit-and-run. This program is offered in addition to the Crime Stoppers reward program, so doing the right thing could yield you $2,000. The number for Hit-and-Run Reward is 1-800-644-8678.
Source: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-06-15/news/os-lake-man-arrested-in-2010-hit-and-20110615_1_fatal-crash-lake-man-fhp
