LARGO, Fla. — A local attorney was injured in a hit-and-run crash earlier this month in Pinellas County.
John Trevena is a criminal defense attorney in Tampa Bay. He has tried high-profile cases over the years.
"Having defended so many of those cases over the years, it's odd now to be the victim instead of representing the defendant, but I certainly understand the victim's position in these cases," he said.
Trevena and his wife, Tracy, were injured following the hit-and-run crash on Monday, July 15 around 7:30 p.m. It happened at the corner of Ulmerton Road and US 19 in Pinellas County.
"There were a total of three impacts. It was like the first real big jolt and then there was a secondary jolt and then there was a third jolt after that... we got pushed into the car in front of us," said Trevena.
Trevena said he was returning home after visiting a client in the Falkenburg Road Jail.
"We were at the intersection of Ulmerton Road and US 19 where the overpass is and we had slowed for the traffic light."
Video obtained by Trevena from the Florida Highway Patrol captured the crash. He was stopped at a red light in his Volkswagen Beetle when a driver in a white Toyota Prius slammed into his car. According to FHP, the driver is described as a female with short blonde hair and glasses.
"They know the front of it has my paint from the blue Volkswagen on the front of her vehicle so there was some paint transfer. We know she appears to be blonde, wearing sunglasses, shorter type hair and she was the only occupant of the vehicle that we could see."
Trevena said the driver pulled into a parking lot before leaving the scene.
"Shocked, my wife noticed she was pulling off into the parking lot adjacent to us and we thought she was going to pull off and wait for law enforcement, but then we noticed she circled around the lot and then just took off like crazy, high speed," said Trevena.
"You can't go anywhere without being picked up on camera so it was foolish of her to think she would be able to escape without being photographed," he added.
Trevena said he suffered a spinal cord injury and was hospitalized for at least 5 days in an intensive care unit. He said his wife is also suffering from neck pain and had a concussion.
"I have some movement in my legs. I can move them around. I can wiggle my toes and do that type of thing, but I don't feel myself doing it," he said.
"They've given me a lot of steroids which I think have helped some in trying to reduce the inflammation to the spinal cord to get more of the strength back and more of the sensation back."
Trevena said he has follow-up appointments with doctors this week. He will also begin physical rehabilitation at home.
Trevena said following the accident, he needs a wheelchair and walker.
"My main concern is to be able to get back on my feet and walk again. I don't want to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life," he said.
He urges the driver to come forward and turn herself into law enforcement.
"I would think this is probably more so a situation where someone was scared and don't know what she should do and just took off, just out of fright. The best thing to do in that scenario, you know, is to turn yourself in," he said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call *FHP (*347) or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS.
