Quote:
Originally Posted by My Daily Run
An 89-year-old Villager has been arrested in a hit-and-run crash that injured two bicyclists in The Villages.
Marilyn Jean Hamilton has been arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol in the Oct. 30 hit-and-run crash that left 60-year-old Jessica Laube of the Village of Dunedin with a serious head injury. Her husband, 68-year-old Robert Hunter had been riding with her on Morse Boulevard and also was struck by Hamilton’s white Mercedes.
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As no one has died yet, it seems that this hit and run accident, fleeing the scene of an accident, failure to stop and provide medical attention, etc., is a Third Degree Felony in Florida with a penalty of five years in prison OR five years of probation and. $5,000 fine. As days passed before the woman was found, who knows if she was DUI. She won’t be charged with that.
If one of the victims dies, it becomes a First Degree Felony with up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If she was also DUI, there is a four year mandatory minimum sentence.
Losing one’s license is traumatic—it changes one’s life a lot, quite often. Of course, being knocked off a bicycle and spending time on a respirator following a serious head injury is also pretty traumatic. It can often lead to a permanent change in one’s life.
Some of us may say five years of probation and a $5,000 fine is too much for an 89 year old woman, and others may say it isn’t enough. However, I would be shocked if she doesn’t also face a personal injury lawsuit and have to spend time in court defending herself from that. That is very stressful. It is also likely to be very expensive, possibly well beyond what her insurance will cover.