Justice served after 18 years in 2006 DUI crash with serious injury; suspect found guilty after fleeing country
~Faisal Javiad fled from the U.S. following the crash, traveling to Pakistan and Kenya before re-entering the country and being arrested~
Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Department of Highway Safey and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)
Auburndale, Florida - On May 20, 2006, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) responded to a crash with injuries on Interstate 4, west of State Road 559, in Polk County, Florida. A roadblock was set up due to extensive debris on the roadway from the crash.
FHP troopers arrived at the crash location to find a white 2006 Jaguar on the north shoulder of the roadway, that appeared to be split in half, and an overturned orange Honda Element compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), upside-down within the westbound lanes of Interstate-4.
The driver of the Jaguar, identified as 27 year-old Faisal Javaid, of Orlando, Florida, had been ejected from the Jaguar and was receiving treatment by Polk County emergency medical services (EMS).
The occupants of the Honda were injured and entrapped within the vehicle, which was upside-down on the roadway. Local fire rescue personnel assisted in removing them from the vehicle, and they were transported to an area hospital. The occupants of the SUV were identified as Terry Lynn Cuyler, 58, of Longwood, Florida, and Diane Anstine, 48, of Lake Mary, Florida.
Troopers determined that the Jaguar had been traveling eastbound on Interstate-4 and failed to maintain a single lane. The driver overcorrected, losing control of the vehicle, crossing the median, and entering westbound traffic, where it struck the Honda. Upon impact, the Jaguar was sheared in half, and the Honda overturned onto its roof.
Troopers observed that the driver of the Jaguar, Faisal Javaid, displayed possible signs of impairment. As a result, a sample of Javaid's blood was drawn for testing, and the results showed that Javid's blood alcohol level was greater than one-and-a-half times the legal limit (0.08) at the time of the crash..
Troopers filed charges against Faisal for driving under the influence (DUI) with serious bodily injury, and the case was scheduled for trial in 2008. However, before the trial, Faisal Javaid fled the country, leaving the victims, both who had suffered life-altering injuries, to wonder if justice would ever be served.
For 15 years there were no updates to the case. In May 2023, the FHP troopers who had initiated the crash investigation in 2006, received a call from the State Attorney’s Office, Fourth Judicial Circuit, informing them that the suspect, Faisal Javaid, had returned to the United States via the Orlando International Airport and had been arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear during his DUI trial.
As the result of to the diligence and determination of the Assistant State Attorney, along with the FHP Troopers, eyewitnesses, and others, on April 5, 2024, a jury found Faisel Javid guilty of two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, nearly 18 years after the incident.
Faisal Javaid is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for May 15, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in state prison.