Trooper Ticketed After Critically Injuring Three Boys in Car Accident

A trooper was finally ticketed months after causing an accident where three young boys were critically injured after the car that they were riding in was struck by the Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s vehicle, which was in the midst of making an illegal U-turn. Trooper Raul Umana, 20, was driving a marked 2007 Crown Victoria patrol vehicle north on Interstate 75 around 9:30 p.m. in May.

Trooper Umana crossed through three lanes of traffic and attempted to make an illegal U-turn across the median of the highway. As he made the maneuver, clocked on his patrol car computer going 34 mph, his patrol car hit the guardrail and spun the car. It crashed into a 2014 Nissan Altima, driven by Christea Jones, 28, of Orlando with her three young boys in the car with her.

Trooper Umana crashed into the front of Ms. Jones’ vehicle, which sent her and her children, ages 7, 5, and 2, into the path of a Mercedes Benz that also hit her car. Ms. Jones’ car continued down the road where it was also hit by a 2004 Peterbilt semi-truck. The car finally came to a rest on the shoulder of the road, where it caught fire.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on the scene and were able to get Ms. Jones out of the vehicle; however, they were unable to put out the fire and her children were still trapped inside. Fire officials were eventually able to put out the fire, and her three boys were transported to UF Health Shards Hospital in critical condition. Ms. Jones was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Because of the accident, Ms. Jones’ youngest boy, Logan Grant, suffered brain damage. Her other boys suffered significant injuries to their back, shoulders, and lungs as a result of the crash and ensuing fire. The Florida Highway Patrol ticketed Trooper Umana, who was so new to the department that he was still on probation at the time of the accident. He had only had his driver’s license for three years.

Florida Car Accidents

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there have already been 257,106 traffic accidents this year in the state of Florida. Of those, 112,063 were injury-related crashes that hurt 169,339 people. An additional 1,719 accidents in Florida have resulted in death, and 1,825 people have already died this year.

This year, the month with the least number of car accidents was June, with 26,307 reported incidents. The month with the most traffic accidents was March, with 30,231 accidents reported. Halfway through the month of October, this state has already seen 7,601 crashes.

Call a Florida Car Accident Lawyer Today

Car accidents can result in years of traumatic physical, mental, and emotional pain and in some cases the damage can be permanent. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Tampa, or Orlando let the experienced car accident lawyers at The Pendas Law Firm help. Call or contact the office today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.