A Florida high school teacher was arrested over a hit-and-run crash that happened in December, when he allegedly crashed into a 15-year-old student and fled the scene, according to authorities and news reports.
Benjamin Fottler, a teacher at Winter Park High School in Winter Park, is facing charges including leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injury, court records viewed by Us Weekly show.
Fottler, 49, is accused of colliding into high school student Landon Cates, who is now 16, the morning of December 11, according to authorities, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
Fottler allegedly kept driving after the crash, which resulted in a broken back for Cates, according to the outlet.
“Originally, I didn’t know my back was broken,” Cates recalled while speaking with FOX 35 Orlando. “I thought I just ate it and was fine. That was the adrenaline talking. Right after it went away, I did not feel good. It hurt and it sucked bad.”
Cates’ mother, Callista Cates, established a GoFundMe to help support her son’s medical bills.
“Since the accident, our days have been filled with doctor visits, consultations with specialists, and now, the possibility of surgery,” Callista wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The emotional toll has been heavy, but the financial strain is becoming overwhelming.”
Fottler was arrested on Tuesday, March 11, CBS12 reported.
He did not immediately return a request for comment from Us on Friday, March 12.
An attorney was not listed for Fottler in court records as of March 12.
According to authorities, Fottler told investigators that he did not realize he hit someone during the December 11 crash, CBS12 reported.
“I thought it was a sign in the median while turning onto the highway,” Fottler said, according to the outlet.
Orange County Public Schools told WFTV that Fottler remains employed at Winter Park High School.
Landon, meanwhile, has been out of school due to his injuries from the crash and has to wear a back brace, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
“I can’t, like, run. I can’t, like, bend or twist or do a lot of things,” Cates told the outlet. “If my back wasn’t broken, at my school I could have done this half thing where I spend half my time at school and then half my time at a trade school.”
Callista wrote in the GoFundMe page that, “Between medical bills, transportation to appointments, and everyday living costs, it’s been a struggle to keep up.”
“The uncertainty of what comes next — especially with surgery on the horizon — makes it even harder,” the page reads.
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