Driving cited for driving into Clay County deputy who was directing traffic at a school

Police ticketed a driver who hit accidentally hit an officer with her truck while dropping students off at a Clay County school. The driver allegedly stopped in a turn lane to drop two students off at Oakleaf High School, and then drove back toward to school entrance where the officer was directing traffic, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. The officer then fell to the ground when he was hit in the legs by the rear drivers-side of the truck, the newspaper reported. The officer had a reflective vest on and the lights on his patrol car were flashing at the time of the 7 a.m. accident, the newspaper reported. The officer was evaluated by a doctor but did not need to be hospitalized.

The 18-year-old driver was given a ticket for careless driving and a separate citation for not having proof of insurance. In Clay County Traffic Cases, moving violations each carry a different amount of points that can be assessed to a driver’s record. Those points then accumulate and can result in severe penalties, such as a suspended driver’s license. This case is a prime example of how those points can escalate based on the result of the violation. Ordinarily, careless driving would have 3 points assessed to a driver’s license. Three points is the most common punishment in Clay County Traffic Cases, along with the fines and court costs that come with any ticket. However, according to Florida Law, any moving violation that results in an accident is a 4-point violation.

That one point can be significant for a driver with a pattern of tickets. The point accumulation that leads to license suspension is as follows:  12 points in a year: 30-day license suspension  18 points in 18 months: 3-month suspension  24 points in three years: 1-year suspension And by simply paying the ticket and the fine, you are admitting guilt and accepting the points that will be added to your driving record. Even if you or your loved one has an otherwise spotless driving record, it could be worth talking to a Clay County Traffic Attorney about contesting the ticket. Insurance companies use the points to determine the risk level of insuring a driver and, when tickets crop up, auto insurance rates will start to rise, too. Our Clay County Traffic Attorney can look into your case and help determine if there’s a possibility of getting fines or points reduced.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Traffic Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.