Leaving the scene of an accident, also known as hit-and-run is a serious offense, especially when it involves death. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, three of every five road fatalities involved a pedestrian hit by a hit-and-run driver. Hit-and-run involving a fatality could be charged as a felony. The penalties for being convicted of this offense include a minimum sentence of four years in prison to a maximum of thirty years in prison, thirty years of probation, and fines as large as $10,000. A person could also lose their license permanently for a hit-and-run involving a fatality.
WISN reports on a Florida driver who has been charged in the hit-and-run death of a man on vacation. Dwayne Drayton left jail on Wednesday after posting bond. He was arrested on charges relating to a hit-and-run accident that happened in February.
37-year-old Drayton is accused of hitting Bob Henschel on a dark Florida highway on February 24th. Police found parts of a maroon colored vehicle at the scene and used them to narrow down the make and model of the car that was used in the hit-and-run. Henschel had stopped on the side of the road after running out of gas. As he got out of his vehicle to speak to a passer-by who had stopped to help, a vehicle hit Henschel.
In the court documents charging Drayton, they cited pictures that Drayton posted to social media. The pictures were of his vehicle, and he claimed that he had struck a deer.
After obtaining search warrants, investigators found Henschel’s DNA in Drayton’s windshield. Further investigation revealed that Drayton had Googled “vehicular manslaughter” days after the crash. The documents further reveal that at one point, Drayton contacted police to ask if they were investigating him. He told police that his insurance company told him that police were asking if his vehicle had been at the scene.
Drayton is accused of leaving the scene of an accident involving death.