A man named Faisal Javaid was accused of causing a crash while under the influence in 2006 in Polk County, Florida. The crash left two people seriously injured, and Javaid fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution for 15 years. He was arrested after catching a flight to Orlando, and is now facing trial for his actions. Javaid was driving a Jaguar on I-4 when he lost control of the car, crossed the median, and hit a Honda traveling in the opposite direction. Photos show that the Jaguar was “sheared in half” and the Honda flipped onto its roof, trapping two people inside. Javaid appeared to be impaired at the time of the crash, with a blood test showing a .129 level, exceeding the legal limit in Florida.
Javaid’s trial was originally scheduled for 2008, but he left the country shortly before and went to Pakistan, where he stayed for 15 years. His father contacted his attorney at the time, explaining that local authorities in Pakistan prevented Javaid from boarding a flight. The father expressed that his son wanted to come back to the U.S. to face the court and requested that the matter be resolved with minimal punishment possibly with no jail time. In 2023, Javaid caught a flight back to Orlando and was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear at his trial. He was booked in Polk County jail and is awaiting sentencing, facing up to 10 years in prison. The victims of the crash were left wondering if justice would ever be served, as they had suffered life-altering injuries.
Polk County is located in central Florida, about a 55-mile drive east of downtown Tampa. In 2020, nearly 12,000 people were killed in car crashes involving drunk drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 30 people die every day in crashes where a driver is believed to be drunk, the CDC reported. The CDC emphasized that safe driving requires focus, coordination, good judgment, and quick reactions to the environment, and any alcohol or drug use impairs the ability to drive safely. A person’s blood alcohol concentration can be measured, with the legal limit for driving in most states set at 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter, though even lower levels can cause impairment.
To prevent drunk driving, the CDC recommends not letting friends drive while impaired, not riding with an impaired driver, reminding guests to plan ahead at parties, arranging alternative transportation or having a designated driver. Impaired driving has resulted in tragic consequences in various instances, such as a DUI crash in Florida that resulted in the deaths of a father and son on a college trip, a hit-and-run incident in California where a 22-year-old firefighter recruit lost his life, and a crash in Florida involving a mother smelling of alcohol who was unconscious while her two children roamed a busy road. Javaid is currently awaiting sentencing for his actions in the 2006 crash in Polk County, potentially facing up to 10 years in prison for his role in the incident.
