Hollywood Personal Injury Lawyer

We posted last summer regarding an incident that was recorded on a dashboard camera inside a police cruiser in which officers discussed how to help an officer cover up the fact that he had rear-ended another driver.  The Hollywood Police Department began an investigation, and after six months of digging, the department has made its decision.  Five officers who were involved in the plan have all been dismissed from their jobs.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“Police Chief Chad Wagner has fired five employees who were accused of trying to doctor a traffic report last year, an incident caught on videotape and broadcast nationally.

Officer Joel Francisco, Officer Dewey Pressley, Community Service Officer Karim Thomas, Sgt. Andrew Diaz and crime scene technician Andrea Tomassi had been on paid leave since July after a video surfaced showing some officers talking about how to get another officer off the hook in a rear-end crash.

The exchange was recorded by a dashboard camera in one of the patrol cars. The officers apparently didn’t realize it was on.

The crash happened Feb. 17 in the 2800 block of Sheridan Street.

Francisco was driving the car the rear-ended Alexandra Torrens-Vilas; Pressley wrote the report and arrested Torrens-Vilas. She faced four DUI charges that were later dropped by prosecutors.

The report said “a large gray stray cat” that had been sitting on Torrens-Vila’s lap jumped out of her car window and distracted her, causing her to veer into Francisco’s lane, where she abruptly braked, and he hit her.

“I will do the narrative for you,” one of the officers says on the tape. “I know how I am going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook.”

While the action within the department appears to be complete, there could also be civil liability issues that arise if the woman who was hit was hurt.  If you or someone you love has been harmed in a crash, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who understand how to take on any opponent.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.