The next Legislative session in Florida is still a ways off, though some lawmakers have already gotten busy filing new bills for consideration.
And one of these bills aims to grant over $20 million to a motorcycle driver who was struck by an Orange County deputy back in 2019.
That bill — SB 44 — was filed early last month by state Sen. Ralph Massullo (R-District 11), and it briefly discusses what happened during the incident.
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED
According to the bill, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2019, when the driver — 26-year-old Sean Hurley of Seminole County — was heading west on Red Bug Lake Road aboard his motorcycle.
But at the same time, the deputy — identified as Nicholas Orrizzi — was leaving his home for a night shift and pulled out onto the roadway, right into the path of the motorcycle.
As a result, Hurley was struck in his “lower extremity” and was thrown into the grassy median nearby, the bill states.
A trooper later determined that Deputy Orrizzi had violated Hurley’s right-of-way.
THE AFTERMATH OF THE CRASH
SB 44 states that Hurley suffered “catastrophic” injuries that required several surgeries, and one of his legs is now shorter than the other.
“He requires specialized footwear to walk, and his long-term prognosis is intensive medical treatment and monitoring for the rest of his life,” the bill reads.
In 2023, News 6 obtained Orrizzi’s discipline records from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
It showed he was suspended for six days after an internal investigation of the crash.
Records also show Orrizzi was involved in another crash two months later, which investigators also determined was “avoidable” and “major.”
The legislation reveals an Orange County jury found Deputy Orrizzi fully negligent in the case, awarding Hurley $20,839,757 in damages.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Florida state law limits judgements against government agencies to $200,000.
The only way around that is to submit a Claims Bill to the Florida Legislature and the governor asking them for an exception — which is where SB 44 comes in.
The bill authorizes the sheriff’s office to appropriate county funds to pay the sum to Hurley as compensation.
SB 44 will need approval from lawmakers and the governor during next year’s Legislative session.