Attorney refutes claims of special treatment for driver in fatal DUI crash
The woman who Cocoa police arrested Wednesday in connection with a traffic crash that claimed the life of a mother of six children in June, hasn't received any preferential treatment, according to her attorney.
Suzanna Paige Norris, 49, of Cocoa, was charged with DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash involving death and DUI of alcohol or drugs in connection with the June 20 death of Passion Lucas, jail records show.
The well-connected CEO of the Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds in Cocoa was initially ordered held on a no-bond status but later allowed to post bond for release on Thursday. The arrest came after Cocoa police opted to allow her to turn herself in at the department's headquarters instead of being taken into custody in front of her daughter, said Alan Landman, Norris's attorney.
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“She devastated. She’s never been in trouble before. Initially, she was going to be arrested in front of her child. The (police) sergeant showed up at her horse farm and he was kind enough to work with us,” Landman said, adding he has worked closely with the state attorney's office in readying the case for his client. He also said that an arrest in a traffic fatality after the nearly six-month-long investigation was not unusual.
“I don’t think my client was afforded any special privilege, it is very common for there not to be an arrest immediately because you don’t (immediately) know the underlying factors of crash,” he said.
In November, Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier removed the previous traffic investigator and prompted a review as the Lucas family raised questions about the case's handling and hired an attorney.
“I am very happy that we were able to make an arrest in this investigation, and hopefully bring some closure for the Lucas family,” said Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier in a statement. “Norris’ decision to consume alcoholic beverages beyond the legal limit and driving was a major factor in Passion Lucas’ death. We took our time and did a thorough investigation in order to arrive and at just conclusion.”
The arrest comes after mounting pressure on police from the victim's sister, Makita Lucas, and an erroneous court filing from a leading traffic homicide officer with the Cocoa Police Department that said so nobody was injured in the crash.
Investigators allowed Landman access to Norris’ white 2009 Chevrolet Impala within a month of the crash, but failed to pull information from the vehicle’s black box until last month when the Lucas family hired attorney Jessica Travis. Chief Collier removed the original traffic investigator and moved to have the case reviewed.
"The family is not out for blood but they believe (Norris) should be held accountable," Travis told FLORIDA TODAY, saying the newspaper's coverage of the case was a factor leading to the arrest.
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“The family is keenly aware that it took the sister’s persistence, social media, publicity, and getting a lawyer involved to move things along.”
Family members of Passion Lucas were pleased with news of the arrest but questioned why Norris was allowed to turn herself in and be allowed to bond out without seeing a judge.
"I hope she goes to prison. Anytime you do something wrong you should be held accountable," said Makita Lucas about Norris' arrest. "Keep fighting don't give up. Keep trying, pray about it. The officers need to be retrained. That's what prompted this, an officer who was rude. The system should be fair for everyone. But we're not backing down yet, not until we get a conviction."
Police said Norris struck Passion Lucas along Industry Road, just north of State Road 528 at about 2:20 a.m. on June 10 as Lucas was walking back to a rehab center. Police said Norris left the scene after the crash without rendering aid to Passion Lucas, who was left unresponsive in the road after being struck and hitting Norris’ windshield.
Norris returned to the scene a short time after the crash and later admitted to having several drinks, police reported. A blood test showed that her blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. Despite that, Norris was not charged and was allowed to go home.
Police — who recorded conversations with Norris that evening on bodycams — also said that there is also a video of Norris drinking shots and beer before the crash and that it was her actions that led to the fatal incident. The bodycam video has not been released despite requests from FLORIDA TODAY.
The case seemed dormant before Makita Lukas raised questions on social media while reaching out to Mayor Mike Blake. Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier met with Lukas to talk about his disappointments with how the case was handled. An internal investigation into the officer who handled the case initially is also underway.
“I am not happy with the way this case was originally handled. It has been said the only reason such action was taken was because of several articles in the media. I can assure you, we were taking corrective actions long before the first media contact requested information. We will always strive to do the right thing, no matter how long it takes,” Collier said in a statement.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa charity worker arrested by police, charged with DUI manslaughter
