A Florida man was arrested recently on a felony count of driving under the influence and causing serious bodily harm, as well as five misdemeanor counts of DUI causing property damage.
The man, 47, was taken into custody by Florida Highway Patrol troopers and deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after he crashed his car into a motorcycle on U.S. 1, according to authorities.
Driving a 2015 Volkswagen Passat, the man hit a 54-year-old motorcyclist from Key Largo, who was airlifted to a Miami hospital in critical condition, according to the highway patrol.
That crash occurred after the Passat driver, who state troopers said was traveling “at a high rate of speed,” struck other cars.
In the first incident, according to officials, the Passat hit the back of a 2002 Ford Explorer SUV traveling southbound, which then careened across the grassy median and into the northbound lanes. At that point, the SUV hit the back side of a 2018 Ford Mustang.
The Mustang was able to stop on the shoulder, but the Explorer wound up hitting two parked cars.
The drivers of the Mustang and Explorer were not injured.
After hitting the SUV, the Passat kept traveling and hit the motorcycle, a 2017 Harley-Davidson. The motorcyclist was knocked from the bike, landed on the windshield of the Volkswagen and then tumbled to the ground. He did not have a helmet, according to the police report.
The driver of the Passat is facing serious charges for allegedly driving under the influence. A Florida attorney who handles DUI cases can explain the man’s options to him and assist in his defense.