A woman has pled guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter resulting from a 2016 accident in which two of her sons were killed. She now faces 10 to 30 years in prison, pending her sentencing on March 29.
According to investigators, Tonya Capallia-Eason was driving eight children in her Ford Explorer on October 22, 2016, on Lonnie Crews Road in Nassau County. She struck a utility pole, causing injuries to six children and the deaths of her eight- and nine-year-old sons. Authorities performed a blood alcohol test and found her level to be nearly double the legal limit of .08 percent.
The boys’ father says Capallia-Eason had taken the couple’s three children to Florida during a custody battle. The third child, the couple’s daughter, was also injured in the accident. She now lives in Michigan with her father and has fully healed from her injuries.
Drunk driving often has tragic results
Individuals who cause accidents while under the influence of alcohol or drugs may face serious criminal penalties, along with civil action on behalf of victims and their families. When a driver has been convicted of DUI, it can make proving negligence a little less taxing for plaintiffs in a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Driving while intoxicated is considered a highly negligent activity.
For more information on your legal options if you or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driving accident, consult an experienced Bradenton personal injury attorney with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.