A Travesty of Justice

Over the weekend my brother, Norman who is an avid bicycle rider, fitness buff, son and employee of the Polk County Board of Commissioner's Office of twenty years, was a victim of a hit and run. I received the call on saturday after noon that he had been airlifted to a hospital and in critical condition. He had been struck from behind by a person driving a van who had swerved off the road to hit him. My brother was thrown up on the hood of the van and then the driver swerved back onto the road crossing  to the other side and then slamming on brakes veeering off the road and throwing my brother off onto the side of the road quite a distance off the road. The driver then ran away on foot leaving my brother lying on the side off the road. Sometime later a passing motorist saw him lying in the grass and called 911.

My brother suffered several broken bones and head trauma including several gashes and lacerations to his face and head after three hours of surgery he was listed in critical condition and was on a respirator.

The driver of the van, Michael S. Waters was arrested, upon his arrest it was learned he was a convicted felon. Waters has a long record of convictions such as grand theft, robbery, drug possession, battery, driving with a suspended license, no valid driver license, no vehicle registration and careless driving, according to Florida prison and court records. He was released from prison in 2004. In addition he is a habitual traffic offender who is legally prohibited from ever obtaining a driver's license. Waters was charged with driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Sheriff's Office.

My family was told by the investigating officer that each of the charges would carry a 25,000.00 dollar bound and that he would be held in jail. While my family sits wondering what my brother's fate will be and awaits to see if my brother, who is in critical condition as of today, will pull thru or not. In less than 24 hours after his arrest Michael S. Waters was a free man paying only 700.00 dollars on only a 7,000.00 dollar bound spending only one night in the Polk County Jail and yet my mother is forced to look at her son as he lay in the hospital on a respirator with tubes running in an out of his body barely clinging to life. This is a complete and utter travesty of justice. This felon should not be allowed to walk the street.

My family and I have decided to become proactive in bringing the man who has caused so much damage to justice and will not let my brother, who lies in intensive care slipping in and out of consciousness, unable to speak, go unheard. I, my family and our friends will do what needs to be done to see that this individual is taken off the streets and is placed back in prison so he can do no more harm to any one ever again.  

In light on this horrible event I find myself thinking of my brother and the times he has always been there not only for me but the entire family. He has given himself unselfishly to his family in times of need. He sat and took care of my father, who passed away from cancer, in the last weeks of his life and has provided a home for my mother. He has accompanied me to judo and martial art tournaments, showing his support and cheering me on. Norman even took up judo to be closer to me. His interests lie in the triathlon, running and bicylce riding and racing.

Earlier today, my mother, my aunt and uncle went to the scene of the hit and run and discovered that it was a miracle that the passerby had even seen my brother lying on the ground after the accident due to the fact that he was left quite a distance from the road. As we look into the accident it is more than apparent that Michael S. Waters tried to get away from the scene and then once caught he claimed he ran off looking for help.

I for one am determined to do every thing I can to bring attention to the kind of dispicable human being Michael S. Waters is and that this travesty doesnt go unpunished and he is prosecuted to the limits of the law. This man's actions not only affects the health and well being of my brother but others in our entire family who depend on him, his friends and coworkers as well. There is always more than one victim in a crime committed on a single person, it affects those around him as well a point of fact that unfortunately was not taken into consideration when Michael Waters was released.