Florida Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Fleeing Car Crash That Killed Former Bergen County Sheriff’s Lieutenant
By Travis Tormey posted in Traffic Offenses on Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Last week, a Florida court sentenced 27-year-old William Dozier to seven (7) years in prison for leaving the scene of a car crash that killed a former Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant.
On November 30, 2012, Mr. Rozier was driving a 1998 Chevy Lumina in Ocala, Florida when he was involved in an accident with Vito Pecoraro, who was driving a motorcycle. According to investigators, the wheel locked on Mr. Pecoraro’s motorcycle, causing him to fall off. At that point, investigators say, Mr. Pecoraro’s head hit the tire of Mr. Rozier’s car.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Rozier drove away from the scene of the accident instead of calling police.
Mr. Rozier was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license. He entered a no contest plea in a Florida circuit court and was sentenced to seven (7) years in prison for leaving the scene and five (5) years in prison for driving with a suspended license. The sentences will run concurrently.
During the sentencing phase, Mr. Rozier testified that he thought that he had simply run over debris from the motorcycle. However, prosecutors argued that Mr. Rozier knew exactly what he had done and had attempted to hide from law enforcement. As evidence of this, they pointed to the fact that Mr. Rozier ran multiple red lights while leaving the scene.
In New Jersey, knowingly leaving the scene of an accident can be classified as a third degree crime. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1, a person operating a motor vehicle may not leave the scene of an accident. If Mr. Rozier had been convicted of third degree leaving the scene of an accident in New Jersey, he could have received a sentence of up to five (5) years in New Jersey State Prison.
Mr. Pecoraro was 59 years old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife and five (5) children.
For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “7-Year Sentence for Florida Man Who Fled Crash That Killed Former Bergen County Sheriff’s Lieutenant.“
