An arrest made in a Friday hit-and-run incident on Interstate 4 is a reminder from Florida Highway Patrol to motorists to not leave the scene of an accident.
The driver of a Chevy Malibu, later identified as Antonio Othaniel Cole, 24, of Winter Haven, was headed westbound in the early morning hours Friday when he rear-ended a Ford Escape, also headed west. The impact caused the Malibu to overturn several times onto the right shoulder, collide with a fence and land on its roof. According to FHP, Cole then fled on foot, was found by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail on charges of failing to remain at crash involving injuries and damage to property, DUI, DUI refusal, and violation of parole, Cole was also ticketed for careless driving.
FHP reminds you that leaving such a scene is against the law and creates challenges law enforcement face when investigating a hit-and-run crash. If involved in a crash, stay at the scene, call for help, and:
Make sure you and any passengers are okay. Remain calm;
If possible, move to the side of the road or off the roadway, and stay in a safe area;
Check on others involved. Call 911 if anyone might be injured or a vehicle is inoperable;
If there are no injuries or major property damage, gather information. Get the name, driver license, insurance and tag information from the other driver(s). Take photos of the vehicles and information if you can’t write it down and then file a report onlinel
Most importantly, always stay at the scene. Leaving the scene of a crash will only make matters worse. Staying at the scene will not only spare a driver significant legal penalties, but it may save a life.
