A pair of Villages residents have been stripped of their driving privileges in recent weeks after being charged with driving while intoxicated.
An 80-year-old Villager had his driver’s license suspended for six months after pleading no contest to a driving under the influence charge in Sumter County Court on Aug. 20.
The charge stemmed from a New Year’s Eve accident in which the man plowed his sport utility vehicle into a number of golf carts in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot in Brownwood Paddock Square, according to Villages-News. The man performed poorly on field sobriety tests and breathalyzer exams showed that his blood alcohol content was between .107 and .108, cops told the news outlet.
Weeks earlier, a 50-year-old Village of Poinciana woman also had her license suspended for half a year after pleading no contest to similar charges in Sumter County Court. The woman was charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest after crashing her golf cart.
Police said the accident happened when the woman struck a curb in the vicinity of Bailey Trail and Bluffton Road, near the SeaBreeze Recreation Center. She reportedly emitted an odor of alcohol, had glassy eyes and “pulled away” when cops tried to arrest her on suspicion of DUI. She refused to submit to a blood alcohol content test, according to Villages-News.
Both drivers were also given a year of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
Drunk Driving Kills
The drivers are lucky to have walked away from the crashes relatively unharmed and without injuring anyone else.
More than 15,000 accidents involving alcohol and/or drugs occur across the state every year, killing some 800 people, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That’s not to mention the people who suffer serious and even life-changing injuries in these collisions.
Anyone who has been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver has the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the crash. That includes money for medical bills, missed wages during recuperation, property damage and other consequences of the crash.
In the tragic event that a person dies in a car accident, his or her loved ones have the right to seek similar compensation for wrongful death. Although no amount of money can turn back time and stop the crash from happening, it can help ease some of the financial burden that often comes with losing a family member.
How Our Law Firm Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, golf cart or another type of crash, Villages accident lawyer Tim Babiarz can help you take action against those responsible and get compensation for the harm caused.
Our firm is pleased to represent clients in the Villages and throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield, and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
