Amended lawsuit filed against FHP trooper accused of driving drunk, crashing into vehicle

Yahoo

28-02-2025

A Morgan & Morgan attorney filed an amended complaint Thursday against a Florida Highway Patrol trooper accused of driving drunk and crashing into another vehicle.
Derrick Connell, attorney for the person in that other car, spoke exclusively with Investigative Reporter Ashlyn Webb about Alexa Morales-Raftari's side of the story.
Morales-Raftari is suing Trooper Wilfredo Febo, saying he got behind the wheel with an 'intentional willful and wanton disregard' and 'recklessness by his decision to drive while under the influence.' Connell filed a motion to add a claim for punitive damages against Febo.
This updated suit comes after 9 Investigates reported Tuesday that Orlando Police Officers arrested Febo for DUI while the trooper was off-duty in March 2024. The charge was dropped after an Orange County judge said the officers were not credible and excluded nearly all evidence.
'You can only imagine how she feels to see the individual that caused her so much pain not have any consequences at that point,' Connell said.
Photos shared by the firm with 9 Investigates show both Morales-Raftari's Nissan Rogue rear-ended and totaled from the collision. Febo's Ram truck was also totaled with airbags deployed. Derrick Connell says this very crash caused his client's neck and back injuries including a herniated disk. She's undergone several medical treatments and invasive procedures, he said.
'She has in excess of $75,000 of medical bills today,' Connell said.
'It's been nearly a year since the crash. What has that year been like for her?,' Webb asked.
'It's been terrible. She's had to suffer daily through these things. You know, having hope each day that maybe those injuries are going to get better with the next therapy, with the next doctor's appointment, with the next injection,' Connell said.
Derrick Connell says this lawsuit will hopefully give his client the justice and closure she wanted. A jury will be tasked with deciding if Trooper Febo was negligent after they have a chance to watch the very body camera video we aired on WFTV.
'I have no idea how I ended up at fault in the crash,' Febo said.
'Well, I'm telling you, you rear ended a vehicle in traffic,' an officer said.
'How?' Febo asked.
'How? You drove your truck into the back of theirs. That's how,' an officer replied.
Body camera video shows Trooper Febo declining to take field sobriety tests.
'I refuse everything,' Febo said.
'You're refusing everything,' an officer asked.
'Yes,' Febo replied.
'Stand up,' officers said.
'What? I'm trying. I'm not doing anything wrong,' Febo said.
Connell says Febo's responses to officers along with his refusal to take the field sobriety exercises will be strong evidence to the jury.
'When a jury sees all of the things that they say, and whenever they get to hear about the smell of alcohol, when they get to see how he was acting, and then the fact that somebody who knows what those tests are meant to do, somebody who knows that those tests are typically, you know, pretty damning whenever you go to court. And he decided to not perform those. I think it's telling,' Connell said.
The pending civil suit is happening as FHP says there is an active internal investigation into Febo.
'Do you think this trooper should still have a badge…If he was driving under the influence and caused a crash that your client was involved in?' Webb asked.
'Honestly, that's not for me to say,' Connell replied. 'Do I think that that is a horrible accident that could have been prevented with better judgment? Yes. Do I think that folks should be held to a higher standard whenever they are in that particular role and understand that? Yes.'
We've reached out to Aaron Eagan, Febo's attorney on this case, but haven't heard back.
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