Man Arrested For Fatal Hit and Run in Fort Lauderdale
Twenty-two-year-old Zachary Benjamins was released from jail Tuesday 13 January following his arrest after a fatal hit-and-run that killed eight-year-old Apollo Brown, Jr. and critically injured Kelv’ron Florence, his 14-year-old brother. He has multiple hit-and-run charges and tampering with evidence on his record. His girlfriend is guilty of insurance fraud regarding this case and has been arrested.Kelv’ron is still in Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Apollo died from his injuries a few days after his arrival. Kelv’ron is unable to talk, but he is aware that his brother is missing from the room they were sharing. According to 7News, a family friend reported that “he’s not talking” but “he’s pointing in the direction where he remembers his brother being.” This friend, along with the boys’ godmother, believes that Benjamins should not have been released since he evaded the police for two weeks following the incident.
Benjamins was initially jailed with a $350,000 bond. This bond was reduced to $150,000 and paid by Benjamins on Tuesday. He was fitted with an ankle monitor prior to his release. He refused to say anything to 7News reporters as he was leaving the main jail, even though he was “begged” to by a reporter. The boys’ godmother, Benita McKnight, was disappointed in Benjamins for his apparent lack of feeling.
The crime of hit-and-run occurs when a driver strikes a person or another vehicle and flees the scene. In some hit-and-run cases, the victim will pursue the offending vehicle and collect license plate and model information. If the victim is seriously injured in a hit-and-run case and is unable to function, witnesses of the accident will often be the ones who report the crime. Those who commit the crime of hit-and-run will definitely need a Fort Lauderdale hit and run lawyer. While the lawyer may not be able to get your charges dismissed altogether, he or she may be able to decrease the severity of your penalty.
In order for the suspect to be accused of hit-and-run, the State Attorney must be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the suspect was indeed the driver of the vehicle; that the suspect knew or should have known that he or she caused a crash; that the suspect knew or should have known that he or she injured someone; and that the suspect willfully refused to stop at the scene of the accident and wait for the police. If you or someone you know is in need of a hit-and-run criminal defense lawyer, contact the law firm of Hassett & Associates, P.A. at 954-791-3939.
