Teacher, Student, and a Hit-and-Run: Questions Remain After Teen Suffers Broken Back

Winter Park Teacher Arrested Months After Crash That Seriously Injured Student

By Zackary Staton

WINTER PARK, Fla. — A Winter Park High School teacher was arrested in March, more than three months after police say he struck a student who was riding an electric scooter to school and left the scene.

The December 11, 2025, crash occurred in Casselberry, not at Winter Park High School. But the case has drawn attention in Winter Park because the alleged driver, 49-year-old Benjamin Hendricks Fottler, is a teacher at the school, while the student involved, Landon Cates, was on his way there that morning.

According to the Casselberry Police Department's investigation, Cates was riding near Casselton Drive and State Road 436 when he was struck by a vehicle. Police say the driver did not stop at the scene.

Cates suffered a fractured vertebra along with other injuries. He has described continuing pain and limitations that have affected his ability to participate in normal activities and keep up with school.

What police say happened

According to the arrest affidavit, Fottler contacted police later on December 11 and reported that he believed he had struck a pole or traffic sign while making a left turn.

Investigators say Fottler reported damage to his vehicle, including damage to the passenger-side mirror.

Police later connected the vehicle to the crash involving Cates.

During an interview with investigators the following day, Fottler reportedly said his child was in the back seat when the collision occurred. He told officers he did not stop to determine what he had hit before continuing to drop his child off at daycare and then going to work at Winter Park High School.

The investigation ultimately led authorities to accuse Fottler of leaving the scene of a crash without rendering aid.

Fottler has denied wrongdoing through his decision not to speak publicly about the case, telling a reporter at his home that he had been advised not to discuss the matter with the media.

A three-month gap

One of the central questions surrounding the case is the amount of time between the crash and Fottler's arrest.

The collision occurred December 11.

Fottler was arrested March 10, 2026.

According to FOX 35, Casselberry police initially issued criminal citations related to the crash. The State Attorney's Office later determined that the initial handling of the case was an error because Cates' injuries met the threshold for "great bodily harm."

Authorities then pursued a capias, or arrest warrant, on the felony charge.

Fottler was arrested March 10 and later released on a $20,000 bond, according to local reporting and arrest records. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office lists the charge as leaving the scene of a crash involving death or injury without rendering aid, a felony.

The student's recovery

Cates, who was 15 when the crash occurred and has since turned 16, told reporters that the injury continues to affect his daily life.

He has reported difficulty running, bending and twisting and has been wearing a back brace because of the fractured vertebra. FOX 35 reported that he has also been unable to return to school and is waiting to learn whether surgery will be necessary.

Cates also said the injury disrupted his plans to participate in a program that would have allowed him to divide his time between high school and trade school.

His mother, Callista Cates, has spoken publicly about her son's recovery and the family's concerns about his eventual return to school.

She told WFTV that her son may require additional treatment and that the family has faced mounting medical expenses. She also said the family moved from their neighborhood because of the emotional impact of remaining near the crash site and the accused teacher.

Why the case has become a school issue

Although the crash occurred away from school property and while Fottler was reportedly off duty, the connection between the teacher and student has placed the case directly in the Winter Park High School community.

Orange County Public Schools confirmed that Fottler is a teacher at Winter Park High School. The district has said the incident is unrelated to the school because it occurred while Fottler was not working. Reports indicate he has remained employed by the district.

That decision has prompted criticism from some parents.

Parents interviewed by WFTV questioned whether a teacher facing a felony charge connected to an alleged hit-and-run involving one of the school's students should continue working at the school.

For Cates' family, the issue goes beyond employment status.

His mother has expressed concern about her son eventually returning to a school where the accused driver still works.

Questions that remain

The arrest answered one major question — whether Fottler would face criminal charges — but several issues surrounding the case remain.

Among them:

What evidence led investigators to connect Fottler's vehicle to the crash?

Why was the initial handling of the case later determined to be an error?

When did prosecutors determine that Cates' injuries constituted great bodily harm?

When was Orange County Public Schools notified about the investigation?

What policies govern OCPS employees facing serious criminal charges stemming from off-duty conduct?

What accommodations or protections will be available to Cates if and when he returns to Winter Park High School?

What is the current status of Cates' medical treatment?

What will happen next in the criminal case?

Those questions are important because the case involves more than an alleged traffic violation. It involves a student who suffered a serious injury, an educator facing a felony charge and a school district now dealing with the consequences of an incident that occurred outside school grounds.

What happens next

Fottler's arrest is not a finding of guilt. He remains entitled to due process, and the allegations against him will have to be resolved through the court system.

For Cates and his family, however, the effects of the December crash continue.

The criminal case will determine what happens to the accused driver. Cates' recovery is a separate matter that is already underway.

As the case moves forward, the focus will likely remain on both: what happened on the road that December morning and how the school district responds when an alleged off-campus incident brings a teacher and student into the same criminal case.

Editor's Note: Benjamin Hendricks Fottler has been accused of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury. He has not been convicted of the charge. All allegations described in this article should be understood as allegations unless established otherwise through court proceedings or official records.