Teenager Suffers Traumatic Brain Injury after Horrific Hit and Run

Jackson Kelley, 19, was critically injured in a terrible hit and run accident in Sarasota that has left him in the Intensive Care Unit indefinitely with a traumatic brain injury. According to the police, Zachari Brock, 24, was driving a Sedona minivan and attempted to make a left turn when he struck the Audi being driven by Kelley. The force of the impact, caught on multiple security cameras, sent Kelley’s vehicle flipping multiple times through the parking lot of a Lantern Inn on U.S. 41 before slamming, upside down, into a concrete wall. Brock then fled the scene of the accident before being apprehended by police a short time later.

Brock is facing felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury and driving without a valid license involving a serious injury. Brock admitted that he should not have been driving because he lacked a valid license but attempted to deflect responsibility by claiming that he could have made the turn if Kelley was not driving so fast. Kelley’s parents are speaking out about Brock’s attempt to mitigate blame for the accident and updated the public on their son’s condition. Kelley is suffering from a serious traumatic brain injury after the accident and has already undergone operations to try and alleviate some issues. A friend has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for Kelley’s medical expenses, and his family has no timeline for when he will be released from the hospital.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a disruption in the normal function of the brain that is caused typically by a bump, blow, jolt, or penetrating head injury. TBI can range from mild symptoms that dissipate in a matter of days or weeks to severe permanent and debilitating injury and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), TBI is considered a major health problem in the United States. In 2010, the CDC reported 2.5 million traumatic brain injuries, and in 2013 that number increased to 2.8 million TBI accidents. This type of injury accounts for around thirty percent of all injury deaths.

For victims of traumatic brain injury who survive, the lasting effects include impaired thinking or memory, movement, sensation, emotional function, personality changes, and depression. The most common causes of TBI include falls, being struck by or against an object, and motor vehicle accidents. The CDC reports that auto accidents are the third overall leading cause of TBI-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths for all age groups. However, motor vehicle accidents were also the leading cause of hospitalizations for TBI of people between the ages of fifteen and 44 years old in addition to the leading cause of TBI-related deaths for people between the ages of five and 24 years old.

Do Not Hesitate to Call

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident, do not hesitate to call or contact Gary Roberts & Associates in West Palm Beach today. Talk to one of our West Palm Beach TBI attorneys now about your legal options and get the help you need during this difficult time.

Resource:

wmur.com/article/horrific-hit-and-run-rollover-crash-critically-injures-florida-teen/26599681

https://www.westpalmbeach-injurylawyers.com/football-season-brings-concerns-about-brain-injuries/