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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Oppenheim Pilelsky Sues Broward Sheriff's Office and City of Weston and
Demands Public Inquest in Connection with Drowning.
70-year old Weston man drowns in canal off
of I-75 because BSO "drops the ball" in accident investigation
Weston,
FL (October 2, 2000) -- The family of 70-year old Dr. Dario
Restrepo, a well-respected public health official and dentist
who helped millions of poor people in South America, is suing
the Broward Sheriff's Office for negligence in his death. "BSO
dropped the ball in investigating the car accident that resulted
in Mr. Restrepo's death," said attorney Roy Oppenheim, who's representing
the family in the lawsuit. "Mr. Restrepo's drowning death could
likely have been avoided had BSO acted in a prudent manner and
followed proper protocol."
Dr.
Restrepo died in his car after the vehicle veered off I-75 into
a canal in Weston shortly after 1 A.M. Saturday during a driving
rainstorm. A witness tracked down a BSO deputy minutes later to
report the accident, but Mr. Restrepo wasn't found until six hours
later, by a passing FHP trooper. By that time, he had already
drowned. "BSO's investigation into the accident was negligent.
They searched for the car in all the wrong places, and gave up
too early after declaring the report unfounded. BSO failed to
notify Fire Rescue or the Florida Highway Patrol. The witness
even volunteered to take the deputy to the exact site of the accident
but he refused."
Dr.
Dario Restrepo, a Colombian native, is a former public health
official with the World Health Organization who dedicated his
medical career to the advancement of oral health. In the 1950's
he helped give rural South Americans preventative dental care,
by discovering a way to add fluoride to salt supplies. At the
time of his death, he was working on plans to establish an international
public health program at Nova Southeastern University. On Friday,
just hours before the accident, Dario Restrepo got a new lease
on life when he learned that a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
turned out to be false.
Mr.
Restrepo's accident comes less than two months after authorities
searched for, but failed to find 83-year old Tillie Tutor who's
car plunged off of I-595. Tooter was trapped for three days before
being found by a road worker. "As a citizen and taxpayer I am
deeply disturbed about the lack of concern and response from our
public safety officers," said Mr. Oppenheim. Co-counsel Alan Ross
commented that "This is tragedy that might have been avoided and
through this lawsuit we will make sure that this never happens
to another family again".
# # #
Oppenheim
is a partner in the firm, along with his wife Ellen Pilelsky.
Oppenheim & Pilelsky, the oldest law firm in Weston, is a general
practice concentrating in real estate, litigation and consumer
related matters. The firm is suing Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
on behalf of all Florida residents who have been subject to the
recall of defective tires. The law firm of Oppenheim & Pilelsky
is located at: 1290 Weston Road, Suite 300, Weston, FL 33326 (954)
384-6114.
/Contact:
Todd Templin or Christine Manna at Boardroom Communications, 954-370-8999,
for Oppenheim & Pilelsky.
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