A Cooper City man was having a good time at a local bar on the night of September 11, and had allegedly had more than enough to drink, prompting his friends and the bartender to stop serving him alcohol. They could see that he was in no shape to drive and offered to get him a ride home, but unfortunately, they were not insistent enough and the man ended up driving himself.
Around 1:15 a.m. the man accelerated before a sharp turn, which caused him to skid across the adjacent sidewalk where an unsuspecting man was walking his miniature Doberman Pinscher. The victim, one of the DUI driver’s neighbors had been wearing a reflective vest at the time, but it did little to prevent the accident.
The victim suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, several lacerations, and a traumatic brain injury. Witnesses told police that the driver was shaking the victim’s body and screaming “I’m sorry” when they came upon the scene. The victim was taken to Hollywood’s Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died 10 days later due to the brain injury.
The victim was the sole provider for both his 72-year-old mother and his 19-year-old daughter, neither of whom have money for funeral expenses. The driver has been charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. A judge ruled that the driver be held without bond.
Family members of a victim in a wrongful death case are encouraged to speak to a personal injury attorney about possible steps moving forward. A lawyer may be able to help fight for damages in wrongful death cases so that the surviving family can be compensated fairly for their loss.