Joshua West accepted a plea agreement in a case in which Andrew Hall lost his leg on Tuesday. West pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, West will be sent to prison for 8 years.
On the day of the accident, West had been drinking at a Clearwater Beach Bar. West was going 90 mph as he drove up onto the curb and crashed into Hall at 1:00 a.m. Hall had simply been waiting for a ride. Hall sustained major injuries including a crushed pelvis and a severed leg. Officers said that even three hours after the accident West's blood alcohol level was 0.188, which attorney John Musca said is over twice the level at which a person is presumed impaired under Florida law.
Ironically, Hall, who battled cerebral palsy as a toddler, had worked hard to develop the ability to walk on his own. His story has inspired many in the Tampa area. He now faces a long rehabilitation, once being fitted with a prosthetic leg so that hopefully he can one-day walk again. Hall will try to draw on the strength and courage he developed as a child as he once again faces a long difficult rehabilitation process.
West apologized to Hall at the hearing, but Hall was skeptical about West's sincerity. "Looking into his eyes, he's a really lost young man," said Hall. Hall plans to use his story to publicize the problem of drunk driving. "Drinking and driving is an epidemic," said Hall. "It's spreading like cancer. So if this will promote change, all across America, I'm on the wagon for it."
A program has been set up to raise funds to purchase a prosthetic leg and assist Hall in paying his medical bills.
Musca Law provides experienced DUI and Criminal Defense Attorneys who investigate exhaustively to build an effective case for their clients. Do not plead guilty to any DUI charge. You do not have to answer any questions outside of your name and address. You do not have to state that you were drinking. You do not have to be subjected to any form of sobriety testing from breathalyzer to roadside tests. Simply be polite, provide accurate
documents and call a Tampa DUI attorney at Musca Law.
