Clearwater police say the teen fled the scene after the crash early Tuesday.

Police say the deputy was not injured.

Officers found the teen’s vehicle in a Walgreen’s parking lot and a K-9 unit tracked her to a nearby apartment complex. They say she had been drinking alcohol.

The teen now faces charges that include hit and run without injury, running a red light and a violation for not having a driver’s license.

A traffic violation of this nature at this age could result in high monetary penalties down the road. If you or a loved one has been charged with DUI or other major traffic offense, contact the Clearwater DUI attorneys at Musca Law.

Source

Simon H.’s sentence will be followed by two years of community control, and then five years of probation.

Simon avoided the 10.375-year minimum sentence for anyone who is convicted of driving under the influence—manslaughter but has no prior record.

He did so after his attorneys asked Circuit Judge Thane Covert to depart downward from the minimum mandatory sentence because, among other things, Simon was remorseful, prosecutors said.

The most lenient sentence Covert could have meted out under state law was four years.

On Sept. 20, 2010, at 4:50 a.m., Simon was driving a car east on State Road 590, between McMullen-Booth Road and U.S. 19, when he turned in front of an oncoming motorcycle as he pulled into his driveway, Clearwater police said at the time.

The motorcyclist, Mark N. of Clearwater, died from his injuries. Mark, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle upon impact.

At the time of the collision, Simon had a mild odor of alcohol on his breath, and his eyes were red and glassy, according to an arrest affidavit. He volunteered to give investigators a sample of his blood, and some taken one hour after the wreck showed his blood-alcohol percentage to be 0.165 and 0.164.

A driver in Florida is presumed intoxicated if his percentage is 0.08 or more.

RIP Mark

Source

If you’ve been charged with DUI in Clearwater or elsewhere in Pinellas County, there’s no guarantee you’ll have to go through this. In pursuit of avoiding this awful penalty, contact Musca Law’s Pinellas County DUI attorneys today.

According to a report posted at the department’s Facebook page, Kevin pulled over a short distance from the crash when an officer attempted to make contact, and fled on foot. Kevin was tracked by a K-9 to a residence on Wildwood Way, where he broke in and tried to hide in a closet.

Police arrested him and found cocaine on his person. He was charged with felony DUI, burglary, possession of cocaine and providing a false name.

He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail at 6:25 a.m. Bond was set at $15,650.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when in this situation don’t run, but instead abide by police instruction and contact a Clearwater DUI attorney, if you are charged with a criminal offense. The charges will always be enhanced when you are caught.

Source

Business partners Jason Gibertoni and Kevin Martyn, owners of Florida Free Rides, told city commissioners last week their business plan, which has proven successful on Clearwater Beach, can work in Tarpon Springs, too.

The two want to operate a tour-guided taxi service, ferrying passengers within “free zones” between downtown and the Sponge Docks.

Mayor David Archie welcomed the new business, noting there are still logistics that need to be worked out before service can begin.

For example, the 5-passenger electric carts travel too slowly to be permitted on state or federal roads such as Pinellas Avenue, as Alt. 19 is known in the city. The drivers can, however, cross major state roads and use side streets to travel between tourist districts. A gas-powered mini van may be used on Alt. 19.

“Since no fare is involved, drivers are friendly because they depend on tips and act more like concierges or tour guides than do trolley or taxi drivers,” Gibertoni said. “They entertain passengers, offering information about events and advising riders where to shop and dine.”

At a recent Dunedin commission meeting, Gibertoni’s comments were echoed by officials who complained that Jolley Trolley drivers do not announce stops or popular downtown restaurants. Trolley officials offered a fare-based electric taxi service to both cities and said they would talk to drivers about being friendlier.

Florida Free Rides, Martyn said, would also like to expand their taxi service into Dunedin. He sees Florida Free Rides as complimenting the Jolley Trolley and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus service, rather than competing.

Gibertoni told Tarpon officials that because of the low operating cost of the electric vehicles, their free service would be funded by not only tips but also advertising and sponsorships. “Restaurants and businesses want to advertise on Florida Free Rides because then they want to be promoted by drivers,” said Gibertoni. Each electric cart is equipped with a small television informing visitors about events and the best places to shop or dine. The duo envisions a two cart fleet and perhaps one gas powered mini van to provide service in Tarpon.

Planning Director Renea Vincent said the city commission would have to approve Florida Free Rides and Jolley Trolley electric cart service, or any other taxi service that wants to operate in Tarpon Springs.

Sounds like an inexspensive way to avoid a DUI charge to me! However, if you’ve been charged with DUI in Clearwater or a surrounding area, call 727-480-9675 right now for a free consultation with an experienced Pinellas DUI attorney at Musca Law.

Source

If you’ve already been charged with DUI, you have the option of contesting the allegations against you in a court of law. To discuss this very important matter, call 727-480-9675 to speak with a Clearwater DUI attorney at our firm now.

Officials also will answer law-enforcement-related questions from citizens.

“Policing is a partnership between police and the community and communication is crucial in any relationship. More people are communicating through social media and we want to be a part of the conversation,” said Clearwater Chief of Police Anthony Holloway. “Facebook is a great way to connect with our citizens.”

The Facebook page is part of the department’s ongoing effort to build relationships with the citizens and increase two-way communication.

Citizens should not use Facebook to generate police response. For emergencies, always call 911. For nonemergencies, call 562-4242.

Source

To discuss avoiding an adminstrative suspension and your criminal case, contact our Clearwater DUI attorneys at 727-480-9675 right now.

The motorcyclist, Gregory C., 52, of Palm Harbor, was arrested today on a charge of driving under the influence, his fourth such charge, along with driving with his license suspended or revoked.

The motorist, Lajune C., 60, of Clearwater, caused the collision, the sheriff’s office said. She too was arrested today.

She was charged with drunken driving, leaving the scene of a wreck with property damage, leaving the scene of a wreck with serious bodily injuries, drunken driving with property damage, and drunken driving with serious bodily injuries.

She was also cited for failure to yield the right of way at an intersection.

At 11:30 p.m., Gregory was riding his motorcycle on Curlew Road when an oncoming car made a U-turn in front of him, near Fisher Road, striking him, the sheriff’s office said. Gregory was thrown 30 feet. Lajune drove off, and was later found in a parking lot at Curlew Road and U.S. 19.

Gregory, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered multiple fractures to his left leg. Lajune was not injured.

If you’ve too been charged with DUI in Pinellas County, you probably have a lot of worries and unanswered questions. For this reason, our Florida defense attorneys, who have helped many people in your situation, offer a free legal phone consultation. Call 727-480-9675 right now.

Source

The answer would seem pretty straightforward: of course they should. What’s the harm of letting someone who may be lost their license, perhaps due to a DUI conviction, from getting around town on an electric-assist bicycle.

As would be expected, the majority (70.84%) of respondents agreed. Only 20.5% disagreed, while 8.66% weren’t sure; and that puts the undecideds and the “no” respondents in the same league as many American, Canadian and English municipalities.

As strange as it might sound, there are communities that consider, in the case of Driving Under the Influence convictions, a 60 pound, half-horsepower electric bicycle the legal equivalent of a ton-and-a-half, 300 hp automobile. Permit me to cite a few examples.

Curiously, much of the 1872 Licensing Act has long since been superseded, but parts remain in effect, making it an offense for being drunk in public and for being drunk in charge of a horse-drawn carriage, which the court reinterpreted to include bicycles.

Again, it would seem that there is a significant difference between being responsible for a pair of 1000 pound draft animals, and the attendant carriage, and a 30 pound bicycle, but apparently some jurisdictions don’t see it that way.

One that appears to is Clearwater, Florida where a couple of young entrepreneurs at Sunset Scooters are advertising their electric scooters as a transportation substitute for automobiles to whose who have lost their driving privileges due to DUI offenses. Even the executive director of the Northwest Florida chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Todd Rosenbaum is quoted as saying, “Certainly, if people need transportation, electric bikes are a good option.”

He did, however, criticize the pair for advertising them as “DUI SCOOTERS.”

He added that “calling them DUI scooters sends the wrong message to the community. It’s telling people the DUI is not a big deal. It is a big deal.”

Electric-assist bicycles and scooters are a relatively new phenomenon worldwide, largely having sprung up in the last decade and a half. They pose conundrums for policy makers and law enforcement officials because they just don’t seem to come under the statutory definition of a “motor vehicle.” But clearly, they have a motor, albeit a small one, typically one horsepower or less. Any damage they might do will, most likely, be to the rider themselves. The more of them that get bought and more the issue of who can ride them, when, and where will have to be dealt with. Relying on 100 year old carriage laws and statutory ambiguities will have to be replaced with reasoned and reasonable legal frameworks. Beyond the question of should DUI offenders be able to use them, is the question of their use on public bike paths and lanes, another contentious issue that periodically raises its head with some communities allowing them, while others ban them.

If we are going to encourage people to use more sustainable forms of transportation that are more human scaled, then we need to reach a consensus on these issues, instead of the patchwork quilt of laws and statutes we currently see being enforced. Certainly, individual jurisdictions: villages, towns, cities, counties, states, provinces, etc., should have some say in the matter, but there also needs to be some level of guidance at a higher level, rather than ordinances based on the whims, misapprehensions and biases of local decision makers and law enforcement officials.

If you’ve been arrested in Clearwater or elsewhere in Florida, there’s no certainty you’ll lose your license. With the help of a defense attorney, you may be able to win your administrative review hearing, thus retaining your driving privileges through your criminal trial, and avoid being convicted when the time comes. However, it’s always advised that you give your attorney ample time to prepare your case. In order to this, contact our Pinellas County DUI defense lawyers at 727-480-9675 right now for a free consultation. Our attorneys specialize in representing people, like you, who have been accused of DUI and other impaired driving related crimes.

Source