The defendant was charged with a misdemeanor of leaving the scene of an accident and a civil infraction of violation of a traffic control device. Port St. Lucie Police alleged she drove through a red light, struck a child on a bicycle in a crosswalk and then left the scene of the accident. The defendant had never been in trouble before and therefore she was shocked and confused about the situation. Furthermore, she was concerned she would be sued by the child’s parents if she was found guilty. After our Treasure Coast Attorney met with the defendant and calmed her, it became clear that she was in fact not guilty of a crime at all. Although she did indeed eventually leave the scene of the accident, it wasn’t before she stopped her car and spoke with the child. The child told her that he was alright, did not need any medical attention and began to leave the scene. The defendant satisfied the actions a person is required to complete under Florida Law. Moreover, the defendant drove straight home and contacted police to report the incident. The defendant was also adamant that she had the green light and therefore had the right-of-way. It appeared the police reacted on emotion to a crash involving a child and inappropriately disregarded Florida Law. Based on this legal analysis, our firm’s attorney convinced the prosecution to drop all charges including the civil infraction.
DUI & Criminal Division
