JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 53-year-old Bradford County sheriff’s deputy left with lifelong injuries from a December 2015 hit-and-run crash involving a tractor-trailer and another vehicle on Interstate 95 was awarded a $1.4 million verdict, the law firm Farah & Farah announced Wednesday.
Clinton Jenkins was driving a county work van on I-95 nearing downtown Jacksonville when a tractor-trailer swerved out of its lane, causing another vehicle to sideswipe Jenkins’ van, the lawyers said. Even though he had been injured, Jenkins’ first reaction was to help the other injured driver.
“We were in the cabin and it was filled with a lot of smoke,” Jenkins said. “And it was real horrifying at the time not knowing if the vehicle was actually gonna come through the windshield.”
The tractor-trailer driver responsible for the accident fled the scene, only to be located by a motorist who caught video of the accident on his dashcam, which the lawyers cited as a major factor in proving the case to a jury.
Even though he had been injured, Jenkins’ first reaction was to help the other injured driver.
“I’m a God fearing man, and I thank God because it was a horrific accident,” Jenkins said. “It was by his grace, seeing us through.”
Jenkins, a military veteran, continues to suffer chronic injuries from the crash and was forced to leave his job as a sheriff’s deputy.
“Clinton Jenkins’ life was forever altered by another driver’s negligence and we are proud to have helped him create a better future,” said Eddie Farah, founder of the law firm.
“I hope my story reminds others of the importance of driver safety and how a single act of carelessness can affect others, possibly for the rest of their lives,” Jenkins said in a statement
The verdict comes in the midst of Farah & Farah’s Summer Crash Course campaign to increase public awareness of driving safety during what are called the 100 Deadliest Days.