TITUSVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol has issued a careless driving citation to the former Titusville police chief stemming from a crash last month.
The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on June 23 along Barna Avenue and River Oaks Drive. According to FHP, John Lau — who was driving a police vehicle — ran off the roadway and overturned several times. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash triggered an administrative review that led to Lau’s firing. City Manager Tom Abbate said Lau was terminated “following a preliminary administrative review of violations of City Personnel Policy.”
According to a termination letter obtained by News 6, the city listed the reason for termination as a violation of “City Policy on Drugs and Alcohol refusal to submit to a drug test.”
Deputy Chief Tyler Wright was named interim chief of police, Abbate added.
Lau began his career with the Titusville Police Department in 1992 and was appointed police chief in 2012.