A Florida high school teacher could face criminal charges and a civil lawsuit after giving alcohol and the keys to her car to a student.
Oviedo High School teacher Meredith Witt admitted to supplying alcohol to an 18-year-old student, Dylan Ferguson, and giving him the keys to her car. Ferguson later crashed Witt's SUV into two cars, and then fled the scene. Ferguson was arrested and charged with
DUI, damaging property, and
leaving the scene of an accident.
Witt, who otherwise had a very clean record, was suspended without pay and then later resigned. The state attorney's office has not pressed criminal charges yet. Police plan to continue their investigation before filing charges.
In addition to criminal charges, the victims of the crashes could file a civil lawsuit against Witt for negligence. Florida law states that anyone who furnishes alcohol to a minor can be held liable for civil damages.
As for Ferguson, he admitting to rear ending one vehicle and hitting the mirror of another, and that he was not paying attention to the road when the accident took place. He also claims to have fled the scene because he was scared and panicked.
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