Tavares, Florida - Scott A. Haehn Arrested For DUI After Striking 3 Pedestrians

3 Pedestrians Injured, Driver Arrested Following Crash on Highway 441

Police arrested and charged a man with DUI with serious injury and failing to stop after his vehicle hit and injured three pedestrians on Old Highway 441 on Saturday night. Tavares police officer Charles Davis saw a white Cadillac Escalade leave the road at 14942 Old Highway 441 at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday and strike three women.

The officer rushed to the scene to help the victims and called an ambulance for them. The striking vehicle stopped about a quarter-mile down the road. Scott says he ran on foot toward the white Cadillac Escalade. A man stepped out of the vehicle, but when Davis identified himself as a police officer, the man returned to his vehicle and drove away.

David did not get close enough to the vehicle to see the license plate number. However, another officer called the Lake County Sheriff's Office with a description of the vehicle. A short time later, a sheriff's deputy in Mount Dora stopped a vehicle matching the description on the same road.

The driver was identified as 49-year-old Scott A. Haehn. After refusing to undergo a field sobriety test, Haehn agreed to a breathalyzer test - he blew a .301, which is over Florida's legal limit of .08.

No further information is available regarding the victims' conditions.

Legal Options For DUI Crash Victims in Florida

Attorney contributor Michael Haggard has offered some input into the legal options available to DUI accident victims in Florida:

In all 50 states, the victims of alcohol-related accidents have the right to file personal injury claims against the intoxicated individual responsible for causing the accident. Additionally, Florida and many other states have dram shop laws that allow the victims of certain types of alcohol-related accidents to file lawsuits against alcohol vendors who provided alcohol to the intoxicated individual prior to the accident.

According to Florida's dram shop laws, alcohol vendors can be held liable for alcohol-related accidents and injuries if they provided alcohol to a minor under age 21 of knowingly provides alcohol to someone who is "habitually addicted" to alcohol.

If you or someone you love has recently been hit by a drunk driver, it's important to be aware of your legal options. You can learn more about your right to financial compensation by speaking with an experienced DUI victim lawyer in a free consultation.