Tampa Hit-and-Run Accident Kills Student, Driver Sentenced to 15 Years
WTSP Television in Tampa is reporting that the hit-and-run driver who left a Tampa student dead on Kennedy Boulevard and scarred his 20-year old friend for life, pled guilty on December 21, to two counts of leaving the scene with a fatality and will serve 15 years in prison with 15 years probation to follow.
According to police, the driver admitted his part in the hit-and-run which occurred in November of 2009 when a group of young people was crossing Kennedy Boulevard to get some food. The driver says he panicked and left the scene and ditched the car which was later found by police and traced back to the driver.
The young man was hospitalized but declared brain dead days after the collision. The 20-year-old woman, contacted at her home in Pennsylvania, said she cannot open her jaw and surgery is too risky because there are bone fragments close to her brain.
Instead of volleyball and snowboarding, she takes online courses to study to work in criminal justice or law. She tells 10 News she hoped the man would get the maximum sentence of 35 years.
Distracted Driving
The driver told reporters he was reaching down to retrieve a lit cigarette when the accident occurred. According to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, dialing a cell phone raises the risk of a crash 2.8 times, talking on a phone raises the risk of a crash 1.3 times, and reaching for an object increases the risk of a crash 1.4 times.
If you have been injured by an inattentive driver in an auto accident, a Tampa car accident attorney can immediately begin to determine to what extent the motorist may be at-fault. The driver responsible for your injuries may be liable for compensating your medical costs, lost wages, property damages, among other expenses.
