A Central Florida man was found guilty of DUI manslaughter for hitting a bicyclist after seven years of legal maneuvering.
The Orange County man hit and killed a bicyclist in Cape Canaveral while driving drunk. A Brevard County jury recently returned a guilty verdict against 46-year-old Glenn W. Brimmer following a three-week trial in Viera.
Brimmer, of Ocoee, drank at the Cocoa Beach Pier the evening of March 2, 2018, before driving his Hyundai Veloster north on S.R. A1A and striking cyclist 66-year-old John D. Perrin.
At trial, Assistant State Attorneys Greg Hansen and Bernadette Serafinowicz presented evidence including blood samples that Brimmer voluntarily submitted to paramedics at the crash scene. Those revealed a blood-alcohol content level of .23, more than twice the state’s legal limit.
Jurors also heard an audio recording of Brimmer’s field sobriety exercises, which were administered by Brevard County sheriff’s deputies. Brimmer was heard laughing and saying, “Let’s do it!” – then having trouble following deputies’ instructions.
In the years following the fatal crash, however, Brimmer’s defense attorneys filed more than 40 motions seeking to dismiss the case or suppress evidence, then appealed after not prevailing with those. The COVID 19 pandemic, which shut down court operations, further delayed resolution of the case.
“Mr. Perrin was a human being who didn’t deserve his untimely death,” ASA Serafinowicz said. “Justice for the victim in this case was long overdue.”
Family described Perrin, the victim, as a reclusive man whose last known address was a small trailer park in Cape Canaveral. At trial, Brimmer’s attorneys pointed out that Perrin’s rusty, cruiser-style bicycle didn’t have a light on it for riding at night, as required.
The jury deliberated two hours before finding Brimmer guilty. He faced a prison sentence of up to 15 years in prison plus a fine of up to $10,000.
Brimmer, who had remained free on bond through trial, was sent to the Brevard County Jail to await sentencing.
