In Jacksonville Beach, Florida other beach towns and cities, police vehicles patrol the beach. A tragic incident recently took place on Jacksonville Beach. A police vehicle driven by Office Lewis Keller wa heading South on the beach when the officer stopped near 14th Avenue South and then made a U-Turn. There were witnesses to the incident who were disturbed and in disbelief over the incident. A full investigation will be completed. From early reports, it appears that the officer just did not observe Anne Marie Griffin, age 41, on the beach. There are many issues to consider when investigating this incident including but not limited to the following:
Was Ms. Griffin in a public area where beach goers / sun bathers were known to sun bathe?
What color clothing was Ms. Griffin wearing?
Were there other items with Ms. Griffin that would have given the officer better notice of her presence on the beach? Beach towels? Coolers? Umbrella? Bags? Other items?
Why is it that Officer Keller did not see Ms. Griffin on the beach?
Was a U-Turn permitted in this area? Was it common to make a U-Turn of this nature?
Of course, there are a host of other issues and questions to consider. Whatever the result of the investigation, it is most unfortunate that Ms. Griffin suffered the injuries she did while spending a leisurely day on the beach.
Florida law allows a person to bring a civil case against a government entity like Jacksonville Beach pursuant to Florida Statutes. The statutory cap for such a case is $100,000 unless the city has a higher amount of liability insurance. Furthermore, a special claims bill can be presented to the legislature to seek compensation over and above the $100,000.
You can read more about this story at Jacksonville Beach Police Officer Runs Over Beachgoer.
