WINTER PARK, Fla. – Months after a now-former Winter Park police officer was treated at a hospital and given citations following his alleged involvement in a DUI hit-and-run crash, one of the responding agencies defended officers’ reasoning to not jail the man, denying in a statement it had anything to do with “preferential treatment.”
Late March 12, 34-year-old Matthew Wright was seen by a Winter Park police officer exiting the driver’s seat of an unmarked Ford Explorer at University Club of Winter Park, located about a half mile away from the two vehicles he’s accused of crashing into along Pennsylvania Avenue. According to a police report, the officer recognized Wright as a member of her own department and instructed him to stay in the Ford until a supervisor arrived, also observing that he had apparently wet himself.
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After hearing the crash and reportedly witnessing the Ford detach and drive away from a van and pickup truck it was stuck in, the vehicles’ owner and a neighbor jumped into a car and followed Wright while contacting law enforcement. An estimated minimum of $5,000 in damage was dealt to each vehicle involved, with the Winter Park-owned Ford noted as having a detached passenger-side front wheel and emitting the sound of dragging parts as Wright allegedly attempted to run off in it.
When a lieutenant of the Winter Park Police Department arrived, they observed Wright had slurred speech and that his breath smelled of alcohol, the report states. Wright said that he had a headache and he was taken to a hospital due in part to concern over “a previous brain condition that may have been aggravated as a result of the crash,” escorted away from the Ford by a fellow member of Winter Park police, according to the narrative.
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The Ford was towed, later inventoried by Maitland police. In it were 12 empty cans of White Claw Surge hard seltzers under the driver’s seat and, elsewhere in the vehicle, five unopened cans that still felt cool to the touch, according to the report. Investigators added it appeared unlikely that anyone else was in the Ford at the time of the crash.
The following morning on March 13, a Maitland officer visited the hospital to speak with Wright, who claimed he had no recollection of any events before, during or after the crash. The officer read him a Miranda warning and informed him the crash investigation had become a criminal investigation, to which Wright replied he understood.
Wright said that he didn’t know where he was coming from before the crash, adding he takes several medications for his breathing, that he was previously doing yard work at his residence and that he went to go see a movie around 7:30 p.m., according to the report.
Wright also stated he didn’t know how the cans of White Claw got into the vehicle but when asked if he had driven the Ford to go see “Scream” that evening, Wright reportedly no longer wanted to answer the officer’s questions. Past that point, Wright allegedly refused to consent to a blood sample, but his license was not seized due to it being lost, police said.
On Thursday, July 27, the Winter Park Police Department and the Maitland Police Department shared statements on the crash, both of them referring to Wright as a former officer.
The Winter Park Police Department holds our officers to a higher standard of the law and expect them to uphold and honor the laws they enforce. Former Officer Matthew Wright’s actions were not representative of our agency’s core values and undermines the trust between the police department and community we serve.
Lieutenant Lisa Suepat | Winter Park Police Department
While Winter Park’s statement was brief and focused only on Wright’s alleged actions, Maitland’s went to some length to describe how Wright was not jailed due to his hospitalization, only handed citations and informed of court dates by officers “in lieu of making a physical arrest.”
Matthew Wright was charged with the highest level of crimes given the evidence, which were misdemeanor driving under the influence (Florida State Statute 316.193(3)(C)(1)) and misdemeanor leaving the scene of a crash with property damage (Florida State Statute 316.063(1)). During the course of our investigation, it was determined by the responding Fire Department that Mr. Wright was in need of medical care and hospital staff subsequently concurred. In lieu of making a physical arrest, our Officer filed criminal charges directly with the Orange County Clerk of Courts through the use of a criminal DUI citation and a criminal traffic citation. Mr. Wright was provided with the court dates for his arraignment on both charges prior to the Officer leaving the hospital. Issuing notices to appear via criminal citations in lieu of making physical arrests is not an uncommon practice when the offender is hospitalized for injuries sustained during the incident and the criminal charges involved are not felony crimes.
With that being said, it is understandable that you may perceive that Mr. Wright was given preferential treatment because he was not physically arrested; however, this was not the case. He was charged with those crimes for which probable cause was developed and our agency cooperated with the State Attorney’s Office to ensure Mr. Wright was successfully prosecuted. The Maitland Police Department strongly believes that law enforcement officers should be held to the highest standard.
Officer Daniel Holland | Maitland Police Department
Wright on July 11 pleaded nolo contendre to, and was found guilty of, a charge of driving under the influence with property damage, sentenced to one year of probation.
News 6 has requested the body-camera video recorded throughout this investigation and will update this story if it is retrieved.
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