A Central Florida judge recently sentenced Mario Gonzalez to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter.
Gonzalez caused a Tampa crash on Interstate 75 near SR-60 in Hillsborough County that killed his passenger and her unborn child.
The investigation revealed that Gonzalez showed indications of impairment during a field sobriety test and was observed dozing off just after the crash. He was found to have methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl in his system after further testing was conducted. Gonzalez’ prison sentence will be followed by 5 years of probation.
“This defendant made several reckless decisions that lead to the death of a young mother and her unborn baby,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez. “He will now have decades in prison to think about his selfish actions and how they have impacted the family of our victims. These deaths were entirely preventable, and this lengthy sentence should serve as a deterrent to others who would make such dangerous decisions.”
State Attorney Lopez leads a team of talented prosecutors and professional staff who are responsible for all criminal prosecutions in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit.
