Florida Police Seek Witnesses in Fatal Car Accident that Claimed Deputy's Life : Suspect Charged with Murder and Reckless Driving
The July 4 holiday weekend in Florida is one of the most dangerous and deadliest times on Sunshine State roads and highways. (See link to related Broward County accident injury attorney article below.) A tragic example of this comes from our neighboring counties to the north in Central Florida, where a driver now in police custody allegedly caused multiple Fla. car accidents that ended in the death of a sheriff's deputy.
According to news reports out of St. Petersburg and Land O'Lakes, Fla., Michael James Anthony, 35, of Silver Springs, Florida, was spotted driving the wrong way on U.S. 41 north of the Hernando County Courthouse. Anthony reportedly failed to stop for police lights and sirens -- setting off a high-speed chase that spanned four Central Florida counties: Hernando County, Pasco County, Hillsborough County, finally ending in Pinellas County where the suspect was apprehended.
The fatal Florida car crash occurred when Deputy John Mecklenburg lost control of his cruiser while in pursuit of the suspect and crashed. Another deputy received injuries in a separate traffic crash that occurred during the police pursuit of the suspect.
Florida Highway Patrol and the Hernando County Sheriff's Office are asking any witnesses to come forward. Police are seeking people who may have either seen the fatal Florida motor vehicle accident just after 4 a.m. on July 3 on U.S. 41 in Brooksville, Florida … and/or who observed the suspect's 1991 Honda sedan as he sped through Pasco, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties in Florida. Deputies believe the suspect traveled south on U.S. 41 to Nebraska Ave., accessed I-275 and crossed the Howard Frankland Bridge into Pinellas County, Fla. The suspect, who is being held in Hernando County Jail, Florida, has been charged with first-degree murder, reckless driving, fleeing to elude police, and other charges.
In their efforts to protect the public and apprehend suspects, Florida police can suddenly find themselves in harm's way. Police are charged with controlling crime, apprehending criminals, protecting the public, and keeping bystanders out of harm's way. While technology innovations such as speed cameras have helped police apprehend reckless drivers (including drunk drivers in Florida), pursuing reckless drivers who refuse to stop for police sirens is a serious undertaking.
A report by The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) states: "This balance of crime control with safety and liability is a recurrent theme not only in police pursuits but many other activities of which a democratic and modern police agency is engaged." (See link to report below.) Sadly, a Florida deputy has lost his life while in pursuit of a reckless driver this past July 4 holiday weekend in Florida.
Related Florida Accident Attorney Article:
Miami, Florida Accident Injury Lawyer Reminds Everyone to Be Safe This July 4 Holiday Weekend -- On the Road and in the Water June 30, 2011
Sources:
Deputies Need Your Help
Land O'Lakes Patch July 11, 2011
Hernando deputy dies after after high-speed chase and crash
ABC Action News July 3, 2011
Police Pursuits in an Age of Innovation and Reform (PDF)
The IACP Police Pursuit Database
