A man in Tampa is in custody following an accident that apparently caused the death of his passenger. Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed the death of a 20-year-old woman in the early morning of Oct. 25. The 21-year-old driver is in custody, facing a DUI manslaughter charge. If he is found guilty, he could face serious jail time.
According to the accident report filed by Florida Highway Patrol, around 1 a.m. on State Road 574 near Interstate 75, the 21-year-old driver was driving at a high rate of speed eastbound. Apparently, a 43-year-old driver in a truck was attempting to navigate a turn onto I-75 when the crash occurred. The speeding vehicle struck the truck, causing the vehicle to spin around, striking a guard rail on the shoulder of the road.
The force of the impact killed the female passenger of the car. The status of the 43-year-old driver was not mentioned in the report, and it is also unknown whether the 21-year-old driver was injured in the crash. He was, however, arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter. He was remanded to a county jail in advance of a trial date. The report did not mention how the police determined the man’s level of alleged intoxication.
It is up to Florida prosecutors to prove the man was drunk behind the wheel in order for him to be convicted on the DUI portion of his charge. In the meantime, he will be represented in court by a criminal defense attorney, who will work to build a compelling case against the charges. The attorney will carefully review all the facts of the case to build this defense.