Recently, a college senior was killed in St. Petersburg after a night of bowling with her boyfriend when their car was struck by a drunk driver. The St. Petersburg police identified the victim as Doneisha Bowens, 22. According to the police, the accident occurred around 3:50 a.m. last Sunday night.
The police report states that Ms. Bowens and her boyfriend, Andrew Mitchell, were driving north on 34th Street South a little before 4:00 a.m. at the same time that Anthony Scott Brown, 49, was driving his Chevrolet truck westbound on Fifth Avenue South. Mr. Brown ran a red light at 34th Street and smashed into the passenger side of the vehicle with Ms. Bowens.
After the accident, Mr. Brown attempted to flee the scene of the accident and was apprehended by the police after a brief struggle. Ms. Bowens was transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg where she was pronounced dead. Mr. Brown was taken to the same hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released into police custody.
Mr. Brown has been charged with a number of offenses in connection with the accident, including DUI manslaughter, driving with a suspended or revoked license with death involved, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, vehicular homicide and battery on a law enforcement officer. In addition, Mr. Brown has previous convictions for a number of crimes over the years, including burglary, grand theft, selling drugs, disorderly intoxication, battery, driving without a valid license and a number of other traffic violations.
Florida Drunk Driving Accidents
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2013 there were 316,943 traffic accidents that happened across the state. Of the 2,402 people that were killed in accidents that year 36%, or 859 people, had suspected alcohol involvement, and 474 deaths were confirmed as caused by drunk drivers. Last year, 676 fatal accidents occurred because of drunk driving.
Driving under the influence is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents resulting in injury and death in Florida every year. Across the country, around 28 people die every day in drunken driving accidents, and unfortunately being cited for DUI does not always stop people from driving under the influence again. In Florida, there were a recorded total of 113,076 3-time DUI offenders and 11,681 5-time offenders as of 2012.
Victims of accidents involving alcohol can receive civil compensation for their accidents, but given the auto insurance structure in Florida it is important to have an experienced personal injury attorney help you through the process.
Call a Personal Injury Attorney Now
Being involved in an accident with a drunk driver can often complicate personal injury claims. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident with someone under the influence, let the experienced personal injury attorneys at Reed & Reed help. From our office in Brandon, we help clients in Tampa, New Tampa, Plant City, East Hillsborough County and throughout the state of Florida. Contact Reed & Reed for a free consultation.
