Officer Suffers Personal Injuries in Charlotte County Hit and Run Auto Accident
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FLORIDA – An officer suffered serious personal injuries at about 12:30 a.m. on Monday, October 13 in a hit and run automobile accident that occurred on I-75 at mile marker 166 on the Peace River Bridge in Charlotte County.
Officer James Perrine, 24, of North Port and Lt. John Churilla, 50, stopped to assist Gerald Guadlap, who had lost control of his 2006 Mitsubishi sedan in a northbound lane and run into a guard rail on the bridge. Florida Highway Patrol has concluded that Guadlap was not drinking at the time of the accident.
The officers were off-duty at the time and on their way home from work at the Charlotte Correctional Institution. Before there was time to move the car out of the lane of traffic, a pick-up truck hit the car and then Officer Perrine. The driver did not stop, and officials are now seeking witnesses who might have seen the vehicle. The pick-up truck is believed to be a Chevrolet model, dark in color, and with new front-end damage from the collision.
Gerald Guadlap, Jr., 34, of Cape Coral, was treated at Charlotte Regional Hospital for minor injuries and released. Damages to Guadlap’s car from the two crashes have been estimated at $8,000.
Officer Perrine suffered numerous broken bones and was air-lifted to Lee Memorial Hospital, where he remains in serious condition. Perrine only became a certified officer in March of this year.
Florida troopers have used the accident as an opportunity to remind drivers that they need to slow down and drive carefully if they see flashing lights. Anyone with information about the accident is instructed to contact Florida Highway Patrol at (239) 938-1800.
Personal injuries due to automobile accidents are among the practice areas represented by Alitowski & Moore, P.A. If you have been injured in an accident, contact a Broward County Injury Attorney/Lawyer, and find out if you could be eligible to receive monetary damages. Offices are located in Fort Lauderdale and North Miami Beach.
