A Polk sheriff's deputy was hospitalized with a broken leg Sunday morning of November 15, 2009, after a traffic crash on U.S. 92 near Lynchburg Road in Auburndale, FL and Lake ALfred, FL.
According to the News Chief, around 5:30 a.m., Deputy James Barber, 25, was traveling east on U.S. 92 in his patrol car on his way to work at the Northeast District substation in Davenport. Sheriff's officials said a westbound 1997 Honda Accord, driven by Damassy Carlota Carlo Ortiz, fishtailed, crossed the median and collided with Barber's car.
As a result of the collision, Barber's car rolled into a ditch along the shoulder of the U.S 92 near Lynchburg Road in Auburndale, FL. The patrol car landed on the passenger side, trapping Barber inside for an hour, the report stated.
Haines City police and Polk County, Emergency Medical Services personnel where the first emergency units to respond to the crash, according to the police report. Barber was freed from his vehicle and taken to Winter Haven Hospital, where he was being treated Sunday afternoon for non-life-threatening injuries, including the broken leg.
Ortiz did not complain of any injuries but still was taken to Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven, FL, for evaluation. No injuries were found and she was later released from the hospital, according to the report.
The eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 92 were closed between Lynchburg Road and 21st Street in Auburndale, FL, until 9 a.m due to the crash and the investigation.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office had no immediate information about possible charges.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Barber was hired in July 2006 to work in the sheriff's Animal Control division and he became a deputy in October 2008.
According to the Fatality Anaylisis Reporting System(FARS), midnight to 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays proved to be the deadliest 3-hour periods throughout 2007, with 1,251 and 1,383 fatal crashes, respectively.
As an attorney in Polk County, FL, practicing personal injury law, one of the first questions I ask a prospective client is whether they were in the course and scope of their employment when the accident transpired. It's an important question because it determines whether Worker's Compensation applies. A victim who is injured in an automobile accident while in the course and scope of their employment not only has a potential bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver, but also a Worker's Compensation claim through their employer.
