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Palm Beach County Corrections Deputy Stephen Bailey Arrested for DUI, Resisting an Officer

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car-driving-interior-13781-300x200Palm Beach County corrections deputy Stephen Bailey was arrested on May 26 after allegedly causing a DUI car crash on I-95.

Bailey, 29, faces charges of driving under the influence and resisting an officer. He has reportedly bonded out of jail. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the police report, the alleged car crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-95 in suburban Boca Raton at around 6:30 a.m. May 26. News sources didn’t provide any more details about the crash.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers who arrived at the scene reported smelling alcohol on Bailey’s breath, his speech was slurred, he was swaying on his feet, and his eyes were red and glassy. Bailey identified himself as a deputy and attempted to call his Field Training Officer, the report indicates.

A trooper told him he couldn’t speak to whoever was on the phone, but Bailey reportedly continued to speak on the phone, which interrupted and prolonged the investigation.

After he was handcuffed, Bailey reportedly complained that the handcuffs were too tight. He told a trooper that he was diabetic and was experiencing diabetic shock. Rescue workers rushed him to Boca Raton Regional Hospital, where doctors purportedly said he was not having a diabetic episode.

Bailey was medically cleared at the hospital and then booked into Palm Beach County Jail, where he allegedly refused to take a breath test.

Bailey has reportedly been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

DUI arrests are not uncommon in Palm Beach County. Just a few days ago, an Ocean Ridge doctor was arrested for allegedly causing a hit-and-run accident while under the influence of alcohol.

Sandra Lynn Mondro, 53, was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. She was booked into Palm Beach County Jail and was released on bond four hours later. The press did not name an attorney for her.

According to the police report, the alleged incident occurred on May 25. Someone driving a blue Maserati was involved in a hit-and-run crash in the 200 block of Royal Poinciana Way. Mondro, who is a doctor at Wellington Regional Medical Center, is accused of being the driver. She was reportedly seen driving a damaged Maserati that matched the description of the one involved in the hit-and-run crash.

The Maserati had extensive damage on the right-front side. When questioned by officers, Mondro reportedly said, “I think I hit something,” according to the report.

Mondro told police that she had drank one glass of wine at a restaurant. The officers who stopped her reportedly found three bottles of wine inside her vehicle. Mondro allegedly appeared “incoherent” and had trouble keeping her balance and following instructions, the report said.

The 53-year-old doctor couldn’t submit to field sobriety exercises and was taken to a local hospital. Her blood alcohol level was 0.184, which is more than twice the legal limit for driving in Florida. She was booked into jail after she was discharged from the hospital.

Palm Beach County DUI Attorney

If you have been arrested for a DUI, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Palm Beach County’s most experienced DUI attorney.

Sources: 5.31.19 Palm Beach County deputy arrested for DUI, resisting an officer following weekend crash.pdf & 6.5.19 Maserati-driving doctor charged in Palm Beach with DUI, leaving the scene.pdf

Palm Beach County Corrections Deputy Stephen Bailey Arrested for DUI, Resisting an Officer

By

car-driving-interior-13781-300x200Palm Beach County corrections deputy Stephen Bailey was arrested on May 26 after allegedly causing a DUI car crash on I-95.

Bailey, 29, faces charges of driving under the influence and resisting an officer. He has reportedly bonded out of jail. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the police report, the alleged car crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-95 in suburban Boca Raton at around 6:30 a.m. May 26. News sources didn’t provide any more details about the crash.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers who arrived at the scene reported smelling alcohol on Bailey’s breath, his speech was slurred, he was swaying on his feet, and his eyes were red and glassy. Bailey identified himself as a deputy and attempted to call his Field Training Officer, the report indicates.

A trooper told him he couldn’t speak to whoever was on the phone, but Bailey reportedly continued to speak on the phone, which interrupted and prolonged the investigation.

After he was handcuffed, Bailey reportedly complained that the handcuffs were too tight. He told a trooper that he was diabetic and was experiencing diabetic shock. Rescue workers rushed him to Boca Raton Regional Hospital, where doctors purportedly said he was not having a diabetic episode.

Bailey was medically cleared at the hospital and then booked into Palm Beach County Jail, where he allegedly refused to take a breath test.

Bailey has reportedly been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

DUI arrests are not uncommon in Palm Beach County. Just a few days ago, an Ocean Ridge doctor was arrested for allegedly causing a hit-and-run accident while under the influence of alcohol.

Sandra Lynn Mondro, 53, was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. She was booked into Palm Beach County Jail and was released on bond four hours later. The press did not name an attorney for her.

According to the police report, the alleged incident occurred on May 25. Someone driving a blue Maserati was involved in a hit-and-run crash in the 200 block of Royal Poinciana Way. Mondro, who is a doctor at Wellington Regional Medical Center, is accused of being the driver. She was reportedly seen driving a damaged Maserati that matched the description of the one involved in the hit-and-run crash.

The Maserati had extensive damage on the right-front side. When questioned by officers, Mondro reportedly said, “I think I hit something,” according to the report.

Mondro told police that she had drank one glass of wine at a restaurant. The officers who stopped her reportedly found three bottles of wine inside her vehicle. Mondro allegedly appeared “incoherent” and had trouble keeping her balance and following instructions, the report said.

The 53-year-old doctor couldn’t submit to field sobriety exercises and was taken to a local hospital. Her blood alcohol level was 0.184, which is more than twice the legal limit for driving in Florida. She was booked into jail after she was discharged from the hospital.

Palm Beach County DUI Attorney

If you have been arrested for a DUI, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Palm Beach County’s most experienced DUI attorney.

Sources: 5.31.19 Palm Beach County deputy arrested for DUI, resisting an officer following weekend crash.pdf & 6.5.19 Maserati-driving doctor charged in Palm Beach with DUI, leaving the scene.pdf

Jeremy Beren Banner Killed in West Delray Crash Involving Tesla Electric Vehicle

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abstract-action-auto-258083-300x200Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, is the latest South Florida resident to die in an accident involving a Tesla electric vehicle. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred on March 1 on State Road 7 just north of Atlantic Avenue in West Delray.

Banner was southbound in a 2018 Tesla Model 3 when his vehicle hit the side of tractor-tailor that was turning left onto a divided highway. The impact sheared off the roof of the Tesla as it passed under the trailer. It is unclear if the Tesla’s autopilot or automatic emergency braking systems were functioning.

Banner’s crash is currently being investigated by two federal agencies: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has authority to seek recalls, levy fines, and implement regulations; and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which makes recommendations to prevent car accidents.

Both agencies will likely be checking to see if Banner’s vehicle was using the semi-autonomous driving system at the time of the crash.

The Banner crash is eerily similar to another accident involving a Tesla Model S that occurred in May 2016 in Alachua County. The driver of that Tesla, identified as Joshua Brown of Ohio, was driving on a divided highway using the autopilot when he crashed into a tractor-trailer. Neither Brown nor the Tesla braked before the impact, which tore off the roof of the vehicle as it also went beneath the trailer.

In a 2017 report, the NTSB wrote that the limitations of the Tesla’s autopilot system played a big role in Brown’s death. Tesla reportedly told Model S owners that the autopilot system should primarily be used on interstates and highways with limited access, but the automaker didn’t add any safeguards against the use of the system on other types of roads.

The NTSB found that the radar and cameras on the Model S couldn’t detect a vehicle turning into its path as they were primarily designed to detect cars in front of it.

The NHTSA also launched an investigation into the Brown crash in 2017. The agency concluded that Tesla’s autopilot system had no safety defects, but it warned automakers and drivers not to treat vehicles that use the system as self-driving.

Tesla has stated that its autopilot system and automatic emergency braking are meant to assist drivers, and that drivers must continuously monitor the road and be ready to take over.

The NHTSA has sent a team to look into Banner crash in Delray Beach. The agency is working together with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the probe. It will likely incorporate the Banner crash into other investigations from the previous year involving Tesla vehicles.

South Florida Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been injured in an accident, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury attorneys.

Source: 3.3.19 NTSB sending investigators to fatal Tesla crash.pdf

Travis Barlow of Broward, Florida Arrested in Hit-and-Run Case

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accident-action-asphalt-6078-300x200Travis Barlow of Broward, Florida was arrested on January 27 for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident.

Barlow, 27, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a suspended license, and failing to obey. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the alleged hit-and-run crash occurred in Davie on January 27. Police officers reportedly noticed two vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver of the trailing vehicle purportedly attempted to capture the officers’ attention by honking and flashing her lights.

With the police in pursuit, the two vehicles eventually turned down a dead end and stopped. The woman in the trailing vehicle told the officers that the driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Camry, had struck her some minutes ago.

The driver of the Camry allegedly tried to leave the scene. He attempted to escape by making a U-turn while sticking his middle finger out at a pursuing police officer, but lost control of the vehicle and struck a sidewalk, disabling his vehicle.

The driver was identified as Barlow, who immediately told the officer that he “wasn’t driving” even though he was the only person in the car. The officers searched his name and discovered that he had two active warrants for operating a vehicle on a suspended license.

Barlow was placed in the police patrol car where he allegedly became violent. He kicked the vehicle’s door and banged his head on the partition. He also spewed racist statements at one of the officers and claimed his father would hunt him down and kill him, the report said.

Barlow continued to threaten the officers as he was transported to a nearby medical center. He was cleared by medical personnel and was transported to jail.

Another car crash was reported in Palm Beach County last week. Fire rescue worker John Michael Gratton of Coral Springs was arrested on DUI charges after he allegedly crashed into five vehicles.

Gratton, 38, faces multiple charges, including DUI damage with personal injury, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer without violence. He was ordered held on $3,000 bond.

According to the police report, the alleged DUI car crash occurred on January 19. Gratton was driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed while under the influence when he crashed into four vehicles. The collision pushed one of those cars into a fifth vehicle.

Gratton ran away from the scene on foot and was found hiding under some bushes by Davie police. The officer who found him reported that he was stumbling, had blood shot, glassy eyes, and slurred speech. He refused to take a blood alcohol test.

Gratton is a driver for the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.

Florida Hit and Run Attorney

If you have been involved in a car accident, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experience hit and run attorneys.

Source: 1.30.18 Broward man alone in car denies driving following hit-and-run incident.pdf

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Worker John Michael Gratton Arrested on Multiple DUI Charges

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cars-city-fire-truck-580117-300x169Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Worker John Michael Gratton is accused of driving while under the influence and crashing into five vehicles.

Gratton, 38, of Coral Springs, faces several charges, including DUI first offense; DUI damage with personal injury; possession of drug paraphernalia; reckless driving; reckless driving causing property damage; reckless driving causing injury; leaving the scene of an accident with property damage; failure to remain at a scene involving a non-serious injury; and resisting an officer without violence. His bond was set $3,000.

According to the arrest report, the alleged crash occurred on the night of January 19. Gratton was reportedly driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck while intoxicated when he crashed into four vehicles. The collision pushed one of those cars into a fifth vehicle. Two people were injured in the crash and were taken to Cleveland Clinic by Davie Fire Rescue.

Gratton’s vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage. Police found a cooler full of alcoholic beverages in the vehicle, as well as several pill bottles, firearms with ammunition, and marijuana in a grinder, the report said.

Gratton purportedly ran away from the scene of the crash and a Davie police office found him hiding under some bushes near the intersection of Griffin Road and Weston Road. The officer reported that Gratton was stumbling over his own feet and had blood shot eyes and slurred speech. He refused to submit to a blood test.

“She stated [Gratton’s] vehicle appeared to have been driving for miles down Griffin Road with only a front left rim and a flat front right tire,” the affidavit said. “She also stated she did not see any evidence on the roadway that would indicated [Gratton] attempted to make any evasive maneuvers to prevent a collision with five vehicles.”

According to news sources, Gratton has been working as a driver/operator for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue since 2002. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the case.

The Florida legislature has passed some of the most demanding DUI laws in the nation because of all the horrible deaths that have been caused by drunk driving. Police departments and the Florida Highway Patrol are required to use a zero-tolerance standard when enforcing these laws. As a result, the state prosecutes an enormous number of DUI cases every year.

Florida DUI Attorney

If you have been involved in a DUI car crash, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced DUI attorneys.

Source: 1.22.19 Firefighter accused of DUI, crashing into four cars in Southwest Ranches.pdf