The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
According to reports, in the early morning hours on March 9, a man who lives in The Villages community was driving a golf cart with a 60-year-old female passenger. He also reportedly had a cooler with a case of beer and a few empty cans inside the small, slow-moving vehicle. When they were close to his residence, the man reportedly had to swerve to prevent colliding with a parked car. During the unanticipated turn, the woman tumbled out of the cart and landed on the pavement.
The authorities were notified, and deputies from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, troopers from Florida Highway Patrol, and an ambulance with medical personnel went to the location. The woman, who was identified as a 60-year-old from Illinois who was in Florida visiting her mother, was severely injured and losing a lot of blood and was in critical condition. She was first given CPR and then taken to the trauma unit at Ocala Regional Medical Center, but she did not survive.
According to the affidavit, the authorities found the cooler in the cart, and the man told them he drank two or three beers before driving it. They believed he was intoxicated, and when his BAC was checked, it reportedly registered .092 and .081.
The man was taken into custody and booked into the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released in the afternoon after he posted a $50,000 bond. He is facing a preliminary charge for DUI vehicular manslaughter. At the time this was written, the suspect’s relationship to the alleged victim was not reported.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a DUI offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.