Attorney John Trevena ‘lucky to be alive’ after being seriously injured in hit-and-run crash

LARGO, Fla. - Tampa Bay area attorney John Trevena was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash Monday night, and the Florida Highway Patrol is trying to locate the driver who took off. 

According to troopers, a Volkswagen Beetle was stopped behind a Toyota sedan in traffic westbound on Ulmerton Road, in the outside lane, east of US 19, around 7:25 p.m. 

That’s when, according to FHP, a white sedan, possibly a Toyota with previous rear-end damage, slammed into the back of the Beetle, which crashed into the Toyota stopped in front. 

After the crash, troopers say the driver who caused the collision left the scene. 

READ: 4th suspect arrested in ramming of Hillsborough County deputy during traffic stop

FOX 13 spoke with the driver of the Beetle, 62-year-old Trevena. He was seriously injured in the crash and remains in the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Trevena said doctors are worried about the lack of sensation in his legs, which could mean there's concern about a neck or spinal injury. But says he is "lucky to be alive." 

Pictured: John Trevena

The passenger in the Beetle, Trevena's wife, suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to FHP. No other injuries were reported. 

The hit-and-run driver is described as a white woman with short blonde hair and glasses. 

Trevena has tried a number of high-profile cases over the years. 

Some of his clients included Michael Drejka and Jennifer Mee. Drejka was accused of shooting another man in a Clearwater parking lot during an argument over a parking space. Mee, who is also known as "Hiccup Girl" because she could not stop hiccupping, was accused of setting up a robbery attempt that led to a murder. 

Drejka and Mee were both convicted and sentenced to prison. 

Trevena also represented Jorge Britton, a Winter Haven man who was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2023 for a high-speed crash on I-4 that killed two men.  

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call *FHP (*347) or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS (*8477).

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