Tampa Bay Injury Attorney Blog
A 29-year-old man responsible for a hit-and-run collision in Clearwater that killed a man and severely injured a woman has turned himself in, according to Clearwater Police.
The man apparently told police he blacked out and cannot remember hitting the man and woman on Monday morning on the Memorial Causeway. However, he noticed his car was damaged and saw a news report on the accident, which triggered him to go to police.
Police claim that a camera on Clearwater Beach captured the man’s green Nissan pick-up truck leaving the area Monday morning. Minutes before the camera photographed the man’s truck, the camera picked up the man and woman in the same area on their tandem bike.
The pair on the bike suffered severe injuries. The man eventually died from his injuries and the woman remains in critical condition.
The responsible driver, who works at a Clearwater Beach hotel, told officials that he was at work and then got off and that is all he remembers. He claims he woke up later, took a shower and then saw the incident on the news.
According to police, a tipster called Crime Stoppers with information about the driver. Additionally, an unnamed individual apparently pointed the man out to a police officer at the beach.
Police found the man’s truck behind his mother’s Dunedin mobile home Tuesday afternoon. Police claim there was damage to the truck’s front end and the windshield was missing.
It is not clear at this time whether alcohol played a role in the collision.
The man is now facing one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving severe injury.
Records show that he has previously been arrested for disorderly intoxication and racing on a highway.
In addition to the criminal penalties this man is now facing, the surviving victim and the other victim’s family could potentially seek civil damages against the at-fault driver. Civil penalties can be sought through what is known as a personal injury or wrongful death claim. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit allows individuals and/or their families to recover financial compensation and an overall sense of closure following an unexpected and traumatic accident.
The Tampa Bay Auto Accident Injury Lawyers are ardent advocates for victims of hit-and-run accidents. That is why we work hard to help victims and their loved ones secure full and fair compensation for their losses and hold negligent and careless drivers accountable for their actions.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a Clearwater hit-and-run crash, please contact a Tampa Bay Auto Accident Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton today online or call 727-823-0000 or reach us toll-free at 866-608-5529.
Photo credit: ::Prad Prathivi @ Amodica:: / Foter / CC BY-NC