A 6-year-old Tampa girl was thrown out of the back of an SUV and onto the hood of a pickup after the vehicle she was riding in was rear-ended by a drunken driver on Sunday, according to police.

The driver who police said rear-ended the SUV, John J., was arrested on charges of DUI resulting in injury and violation of probation.

The child suffered serious facial injuries. But St. Petersburg police said on Monday that her injuries were no longer life-threatening.

The crash took place at about 3:45 p.m. The victim was one of four people riding in a 2001 Lincoln Navigator headed south on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. The SUV was in the median lane, approaching a red light at 94th Avenue N.

Behind them, police said, John was also driving south in the median lane in a 1998 Mazda pickup.

The Navigator slowed as it approached the red light, police said, which then turned green. John’s pickup then hit the back of the SUV, police said.

St. Petersburg police said the child was thrown out the back window — officers believe the window was down — and landed on the hood of the Mazda. Then the girl fell onto the road. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

John was “unsteady” and showed others signs of being impaired, police said. John’s blood-alcohol level was 0.187 and 0.172, according to police. Florida law presumes a driver is impaired at 0.08 or greater.
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Two police officers hurt in a crash Sunday will return to work Tuesday, police said.

At 1 a.m., officers Gary Saunders and Robert Partner were headed south on Tampa Street in an unmarked Crown Victoria when they collided with a Ford Explorer westbound on Polk Street, police said.

They were taken to Tampa General Hospital in serious condition, but they were fine by Monday, said police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. One of the officers was released from the hospital on Sunday.

The driver of the other car was uninjured.

It wasn’t clear Monday which officer was driving. It may be up to a week before it’s clear who was at fault, police said. Investigations tend to take longer when a crash involves injuries, Davis said.

Detectives were reviewing footage from a camera at a nearby business. A witness reported the officers had a green light at the time of the crash, Davis said.

If you’ve been accused of DUI in Tampa, call 813-362-5623 to to schedule your free consultation with a Tampa DUI attorney at Musca Law today.

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TAMPA – With the pirate invasion just hours away, law enforcement is getting ready to make arrests both on land and on water.

The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office took ABC Action News on their new boat that will be one of dozens out on the water this Saturday.

Deputies will be working with Tampa Police, the United States Coast Guard, and Florida Fish and Wildlife to make sure no one is boating under the influence.

Veteran deputies and officers say they know what to watch for.

Deputy Geoff Fox said, “Unlike a case of DUI, with a driver, you can see the operator of the boat. You can see him probably from his knees up.”

Jorge Pino with Florida Fish and Wildlife said, “Our primary goal is to make sure at the end of the day, we can all slap five and say, nobody died!”

For the first time this year, a mobile unit where field sobriety tests will be performed will be set up near the water.

Law enforcement says the unit will help speed up the arrest process.

According to the Tampa Police Department, last year, five people were arrested for BUI. On land, about 370 alcohol related arrests happened.

Already charged with DUI in Tampa? If so, you should contact a Tampa DUI attorney at our firm for your free and confidential consultation.

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A Tampa Fire Rescue captain was charged with driving under the influence early Wednesday.

At about 1:30 a.m., Temple Terrace police noticed a car speeding at 72 mph on Fowler Avenue and swerving between lanes. An officer pulled the car over and conducted a field sobriety test on the fire Captain, police reported.

The suspect, 40, was arrested and booked into the Orient Road Jail. He was released after posting $500 bail.

The captain has worked for the department for 15 years. He works out of station 13 in north Tampa and oversees four employees, said fire rescue spokesman Bill Wade.

He took personal leave Wednesday. When he returns, he’ll most likely receive a written letter of reprimand and be sent to the employee assistance program, Wade said.

“He is a good captain and a good paramedic,” Wade said. “The department is shocked and disappointed.”

Well, at least this time it wasn’t a police officer, as usual, and nobody was hurt or killed. However, stories of this nature should remind everyone that not all members of law enforcement should be; and more importantly, that when charged with a criminal offense, you be sure to exercise all of your legal options in pursuit of justice.

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While a Florida police officer has to have a valid reason for pulling you over, the list of suspicious activities is large enough to act like a dragnet. You don’t have to do much to be pulled over for “probable cause.” You may wonder what Tampa police officers look for. They depend to large extent upon guidelines drawn up by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA’s guidelines use five categories to evaluate driver impairment:

1. Difficulty with staying in your own lane
2. Difficulty with managing the speed you are driving and braking
3. Difficulty with functional skills
4. Difficulty with making the right judgment for conditions.
5. Perceived anomalies with your behavior and appearance.

There are driving patterns that are seen frequently among DUI drivers. If you display even one of these behaviors, a Tampa police officer can use it as a reason to pull you over on suspicion of DUI. If you display more than one, it is all the more likely you will be pulled over for a Tampa DUI.

Continue reading Suspicion of DUI in Tampa – List of Indicators Acts Like a Dragnet or contact a Tampa DUI attorney at our firm to go over your case, free of charge.

TAMPA – John Racener, the local man who won millions when he came in second at the World Series of Poker last month, has been arrested for DUI.

Racener was arrested at 4:07a.m. Saturday morning by Tampa Police on Azeele Street and Westland Avenue, according the jail log reports. He was released on bond.

Jail records show that this is Racener’s 3rd DUI arrest since 2005.

The 24 year-old Racener won $5.5 million dollars when he came in 2nd at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in November.

Racener, who grew up in Port Richey, currently lives in Tampa.

Racener stopped by the ABC Action News studios just days after his big win and sat down and talked to Ellen McNamara about his big win.

In a similar situation? If so, I’m SURE, unless you’ve already spoke to an experience Tampa DUI attorney, you’re feeling overwhelmed and uncertain of what’s to come. Worry not. Contacting a Tampa DUI attorney at our firm now for your free and confidential consultation will answer all of your questions, and then some.

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Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) is an involuntary jerking of the eye that occurs naturally as the eyes gaze to the side. Under normal circumstances, nystagmus occurs when the eyes are rotated at high peripheral angles. However, when a person is impaired by alcohol, nystagmus is exaggerated and may occur at lesser angles. An alcohol-impaired person will also often have difficulty smoothly tracking a moving object. In the HGN test, the officer observes the eyes of a suspect as the suspect follows a slowly moving object such as a pen or small flashlight, horizontally with his or her eyes. The examiner looks for three indicators of impairment in each eye: if the eye cannot follow a moving object smoothly, if jerking is distinct when the eye is at maximum deviation, and if the angle of onset of jerking is within 45 degrees of center. If, between the two eyes, four or more clues appear, the suspect likely has a BAC of 0.08 or greater. NHTSA research found that this test allows proper classification of approximately 88 percent of suspects (Stuster and Burns, 1998). HGN may also indicate consumption of seizure medications, phencyclidine, a variety of inhalants, barbiturates, and other depressants.

Charged with DUI in Tampa? If so, feel free to contact a Tampa DUI attorney at our firm for your free and confidential consultation.