Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt | Attorneys At Law

Driver faces 24 year sentence in Florida wrongful death case

On Behalf of | May 6, 2015 | Wrongful Death |

In November 2013, you read a story about a young girl who was driving the wrong way on a highway in Florida. She was intoxicated at the time; police indicated that she had a blood alcohol content level of over twice the legal limit and had marijuana in her system.

The intoxicated woman struck another vehicle on the highway, resulting in a deadly crash that took the lives of two women, both age 21. While this story is tragic and a reminder of why drunk driving laws are so strict in many states, it’s also important to look at how this particular case developed.

The woman who caused the accident was just 20 when she had too much to drink with coworkers. She Tweeted that she was “2 drunk 2 care” after fighting with her boyfriend about drinking underage. Unfortunately, the 20-year-old decided to get behind the wheel of her car after being with her coworkers that night, resulting in the crash.

Before the crash, she had been traveling as fast as 96 mph, adding to the devastation of the impact. She has said that she doesn’t remember the crash or driving that day, but she did remember drinking two large margaritas and two tequilas. A receipt obtained from the bar showed that she hadn’t eaten with the drinks, which likely added to her intoxication.

The court in Florida sentenced her recently, permanently revoking her license. She’ll also be placed in prison for 24 years and have six years of probation following that sentence. She could have had up to 30 years in prison, even though she pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter.

Source: People, “Florida Woman Who Tweeted ‘2 Drunk 2 Care’ Before Fatal Car Accident Sentenced to 24 Years,” Alex Hiegl, May. 05, 2015

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