An 89-year-old Villages resident was recently injured after a hit and run driver in a car struck her golf cart.
The woman was driving her golf cart on Paige Place in Spanish Springs when a Toyota Corolla struck her vehicle, according to Villages-News. She was ejected from the cart in the collision, the news outlet reports.
Fortunately, a witness captured the Corolla’s license plate number and police officers traced the car to the Parker at East Village apartments. The car’s owner said his girlfriend had been driving the vehicle. The 28-year-old woman “admitted to ‘freaking out’ and leaving the scene of the crash, upon seeing the elderly Villager lying injured on the roadway,” according to Villages-News.
Police learned that the woman’s license was suspended and that she had previously been busted for driving on a suspended license. This time around, she was charged with hit and run and driving while license suspended. The woman was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting a $6,000 bond.
Hit and Run Crashes Can and Do Happen
Hit and run accidents happen all too often in The Villages and across Florida. More than 100,000 hit and runs happen across the Sunshine State each year, according to data from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. More than 200 people are killed in these accidents statewide each year. The majority of the deaths are pedestrians and bicyclists.
Just two weeks earlier, for example, a bicyclist reportedly was struck by a Ford F-250 truck pulling a trailer. The bike rider suffered back and leg injuries in the collision, which occurred in the roundabout at Bexley Trail and Central Parkway. The driver sped off, but was later apprehended by cops.
Last year, a Villager reportedly suffered a serious brain injury after the golf cart in which she was traveling was struck by a car that sped off. She also sustained 14 broken ribs, a broken clavicle, a broken scapula and punctured lungs.
Legal Rights for People Hurt in Hit and Run Crashes
Anyone who is injured in a car accident has the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the crash, including negligent drivers and their insurers.
The money damages available in these cases typically cover current and future medical expenses, as well as missed wages while recuperating, and the long-term impact on the person’s ability to make a living. Additional punitive damages may also be awarded in some cases involving particularly reckless behavior.
Hit and run crashes often come with an additional layer of complexity, however. That is because you have to be able to track down the driver and prove that he or she was behind the wheel at the time of the collision. An experienced accident lawyer can help.
How a Villages Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, truck, motorcycle, golf cart, or other accident, it is vital to seek the advice of an experienced attorney. Villages injury lawyer Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients 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 with a Villages injury lawyer.
