Man convicted 18 years after DUI crash on I-4 in Polk County caused serious injuries

Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol

After more than a decade on the run following a DUI crash in Polk County in 2006, a man now faces years in prison after a jury convicted him earlier this month.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Faisal Javaid, who was 27 at the time, was driving drunk when he caused a crash involving two vehicles on I-4 near SR 559. Troopers say Javaid lost control of his Jaguar, crossing the median into oncoming traffic moments before the collision.

Javaid was thrown from his car while two women in an overturned Honda Element suffered what FHP calls "life-altering injuries."

Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol

Javaid was set to stand trial in 2008, according to FHP, but he left the country and wasn't caught until May 2023, when he flew into Orlando International Airport.

On April 5, a jury found Javaid guilty of two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced on May 15.

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