May 19, 2010 – Wellington, FL – In the early morning hours of February 12th, 2010, the founder of the International Polo Club, John Goodman, left a party at the Players Club bar where he had racked up a $200 bar tab.
According to Page2Live and the Palm Beach Post, Goodman was out for a night involving several social events leading to the fatal crash that killed 23-year-old Scott Wilson, a recent civil engineer graduate from the University of Central Florida.
Wilson was driving home to Wellington for his sister’s 19th birthday when his Hyundai Sonata was struck by Goodman’s Bentley convertible. The vehicles were at the intersection of 120th Ave and Lake Worth Road when Goodman ran a stop sign and slammed into Wilson, flipping the car upside-down where it landed in a canal.
Wilson was unable to escape the submerged vehicle and by the time deputies arrived he was unable to be revived. The cause of death was reported as drowning. Meanwhile, Goodman was found a quarter-mile up the road, claiming he was seeking help at a nearby trailer.
Wilson’s parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Goodman as well as the Players Club bar. They are awaiting the release of many records involved in the crash, including toxicology reports from Goodman, police reports, and transaction records from the bar.
An arrest warrant was finally issued for Goodman with charges of failure to give information or render aid in a wreck, DUI manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter. Goodman turned himself in and will appear before a judge today.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2008 Florida Crash Statistics, there were 2,978 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Florida.
As a service to the residents of South Florida, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in South Florida that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.
Common accidents include, but are not limited to:
- single-car accidents;
- accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
- accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers.
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