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Man Gets 15 Years For Fatal Cantonment DUI Crash
October 15, 2014
A Cantonment man has been sentenced to prison for a November 2013 traffic crash that claimed the life of his 54-year old passenger.
Melvin Lewis Pryear was sentenced by Circuit Judge Erwin Fleet to 15 years in state prison for DUI manslaughter and to one concurrent year in the county jail for DUI property damage for the death of Albertina McCarty of Pensacola
Pryear was driving under the influence when he pulled into the path of a 18-wheeler at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road near International Paper last November. The Florida Highway Patrol said that according to multiple witnesses, both north and southbound Highway 29 had a green light, but there was no green turn arrow for Pryear.
The front of the 18-wheeler struck Pryear’s vehicle causing it to rotate onto the southbound shoulder at the Raceway gas station. McCarty, Pryear’s passenger, was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS.
Pryear had a blood alcohol level of .196 which is over twice the legal limit. He also tested positive for use of marijuana.
Comments
5 Responses to “Man Gets 15 Years For Fatal Cantonment DUI Crash”
I don’t think alot of people realize just how many people are actually under the influence of some kind of medication, be it prescribed by a doctor or over the counter.
15 years? Not enough. Eye for an eye, you kill someone the same should be done unless you choose life in prison instead.
Billy 15 Years is not long enough
I remember this story, 15 years seems like too much to me. I knew a kid in H. S. That this exact same thing happened to, around 98′. Both driver and passenger were completely drunk and they ran across nine mile road and was t-boned by a utility truck, killed passenger and the driver served around 5 or so years. Hopefully this man won’t spend the full 15 years in prison. I don’t want to sound unsympathetic to the victim but they should have a little responsibility in this situation. I wasn’t there so I could be wrong but I would assume if the passenger got in the car with an obvious drunk person they should bear some responsibility. Sad situation and this man will always live with this mistake. I’m sure he didn’t intend on killing his friend. Before you bash me be honest with yourself and have you ever driven a car when by the letter of the law you your 100%sober. Because if you were not and you caused an accident that injured or God forbidden killed someone you could be in the same situation this man was in. Just a reminder we should never drink and drive it’s not worth it, a dui would be the easy way out in a situation like this. Just sad.
Drunks sober up and take note…