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Accused DUI Manslaughter Suspect Back In Jail Without Bond; State Seeks Upgraded Charges; FHP Report Reveals New Details
January 14, 2019
The man accused of DUI manslaughter in the deaths of a Tate High School student and his sister in a Cantonment wreck is back behind bars without bond, and a report from the Florida Highway Patrol provides more details on the tragic crash.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said on Monday his office filed a motion to have the charges against 24-year old Hunter Russell Black upgraded to two counts of vehicular homicide. Each count can carry up to 15 years in prison.
According to Eddins, his office advised Black should have been held without bond for the manslaughter charges. Eddins said there was a misunderstanding with law enforcement, which led to the $25,000 bond amount.
Eddins said there will be no chance of a bond until Black’s next hearing. His bond was revoked Monday in a 2018 battery case.
The Florida Highway said Black was traveling west on Kingsfield Road near Kingslake Drive about 12:30 Saturday morning when he crossed the centerline into the path of a 2001 Mitsubishi driven by 22-year old Antoinette Marie McCoy of Pensacola. McCoy attempted to avoid the collision but was hit head-on.
McCoy and her brother, 15-year old Tate High School student Sean Banks, died at local hospitals shortly after the crash.
Black was charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter and two counts of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury by the Florida Highway Patrol. He was released from jail about 1 a.m. Sunday on a $25,000 bond.
Newly Released FHP Report
The report details the accounts of two crash witnesses. One reported a driver he was able to identify as Black was driving all over the roadway and was having trouble maintaining his lane in a curve. After the crash, he said he helped Black out of his vehicle (pictured left). The second witness told the FHP he witnessed Black’s vehicle cross the center line as the collision occurred.
A Florida Highway Patrol sergeant that responded to Sacred Heart reported that Black was showing signs of impairment with slurred speech and trouble staying awake, according to an arrest report. A FHP trooper said Black had slurred speech, was unable to provide proper information and had “a white crusty substance on his lips.”
Black voluntarily provided a blood sample. The report does not provide the results of the blood tests. The State Attorney’s Office said Monday afternoon that those results were not yet available.
The FHP said Black had been involved in another crash before the fatal wreck when he ran off East Kingsfield Road and struck a tree near Berrydale Road. He then made a U-turn and traveled back west on Kingsfield Road a short distrance before the fatal crash occurred.
Troopers arrived back at Sacred Heart Hospital to arrest him for two counts DUI manslaughter. They reported Black still had slurred speech. He was arrested at 5:06 a.m.
Previous Battery Case
On October 1, 2018, Black was charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly striking his stepfather.
The stepfather and his wife met deputies at the RaceWay gas station on Highway 29 at Muscogee Road. The stepfather told deputies that his Black came home and appeared to be high on some type of drugs. He said Black became angry for no reason and began to kick and hit him multiple times, according to Escambia County Escambia Sheriff’s Office report.
The stepfather reported that he curled up into a ball on the living room floor as Black continued to hit him, the arrest report states, as Black’s mother tried to stop her son. The stepfather refused medical treatment. Black’s mother told deputies that she believed her son had substance abuse problem.
Black entered into a pretrial diversion program in the case. On Monday, the State Attorney’s Office filed a motion to revoke Black’s bond on the battery charge.
RELATED STORIES:
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Grief Counselors Available Monday For Students, Staff At Tate High School
Tate High Aggie Family Mourns Loss Of Student Sean Banks
Two Killed In East Kingsfield Crash; Cantonment Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter
NortheEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Comments
22 Responses to “Accused DUI Manslaughter Suspect Back In Jail Without Bond; State Seeks Upgraded Charges; FHP Report Reveals New Details”
@fisherman you are welcome. Please don’t take what I said to indicate that there was anything offensive with what you said. I was attempting to explain the Marchman Act as it applied to someone I know. I only mentioned the praying part because this is a heartbreaking situation which affects everyone involved.
@ Insight
Thanks for the informative information and I do appreciate your post. If I offended anyone on my posting that was not my intentions and I sincerely apologize for it. I will continue to pray for all that was impacted by this.
@fisherman I have a friend who is known to drink. He was taken in due to the Marchman Act at his families request. I believe the person who is being held on a Marshman Act can be detained up to thirty six hours total; however, the only person I know who has been public with their experience was at the hospital for less than an hour total. Their bill was over 6k for the various testing that was performed.
That being said, this crash was horrific. And i don’t believe that it does any good for the family or friends of the adult driver to sit here and a econd guess what they could have been done in order to prevent him from making the decisions that he did. We need to instead take the time and pray for everyone involved.
Just Crazy…..
Now his Mother and stepdad are in jail for bad checks!
Wow!
fisherman, to daddy
Is that his mother who was arrested this morning for bad checks? They have the same address.
@FISHERMAN
WELL AS A PARENT I WOULD DO WHATEVER I COULD TO GET MY CHILD HELP. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND HE COMES FROM A FAMILY WITH MONEY. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID. HE WAS INTO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL HE NEEDED HELP REGARDLESS , CHOOSING OR BEING FORCED TO GET HELP HE STILL KILLED TWO INNOCENT PEOPLE. LET HIM ROT IN PRISON WITH THE GUILT HIS LIFE IS OVER REGARDLESS BY THE CHOICE HE MADE!!!!
@ Summer
I didn’t know about the Marchmns Act so I looked it up. Here is one part (Once someone reaches the age of 18 and they are legally an adult, they cannot be forced to get medical treatment for anything, unless they are in a state of mind in which they can’t make good decisions and they are a danger to themselves and/or other people) I have to do more research on this act to comment . Summer I do thank you for letting me know about this Act. I do know you must petition the court to get someone help using this Act and I bet it cost$$$.
@ fisherman he could have refused help however there is a such thing called Marchamns Act and would have had no choice!!
@ Summer
(one being alcohol involved did his family not seek help for him???)
Family can seek help, but individual must be willing to accept the help that is offered. This young man is probably saying to himself I wish I had listened to momma.
Thank god this monster is back behind bars! He took not one, but two BEAUTIFUL innocent lives! Their parents have to bury not one , but two of their children. As a mother I could not even imagine going through this! Both of these young individuals had such a bright future ahead of them, and to be taken from some idiot who decides to get behind the wheel and drive drunk. I hope he sits and thinks everyday what he has done it’s murder in my eyes! He had prior arrest as I can see, one being alcohol involved did his family not seek help for him??? Now look what has happened. I pray he gets life he DESERVES IT!! The parents of these two beautiful souls deserve justice!!
He should have not been released in the battery charge…but finally someone heard the PEOPLE’S WORDS AND FELT THEIR PAIN thank u now keep him there
Thanks for a great state attorney in Bill Eddins. I appreciate what he does for our county.
Can I believe my eyes? Is he finally going to be held accountable? Prayers worked this time!
If the law of the land provided for his execution, people would sure think twice about driving while intoxicated, or drinking period!
Everyone will be safer, now that he is in jail with no bond. However, this has to also be hard on his parents. He is a grown man and he needs to start taking responsibility for his actions. Maybe jail is a good place for him. Maybe it will sober him up, and wake him up to what he has done. I pray for the family that lost two beautiful young people, and yes, I am praying for the family that has to deal with their son that has problems and thinks drugs and drinking will solve his problems. IT DOES NOT. IT JUST ADDS TO YOUR PROBLEMS.
Bout time!!!! Not that this will ease the pain of the family that lost their family but at least he is where he belongs. He was out of jail on bond and this happens.
Hate to say it but he obviously had prior warnings that his life was out of control. Very sad it had to come to this but he is deserving of whatever the punishment is and still won’t bring back the 2 innocent victims. He obviously wasn’t taking steps to get his life in order and so now the state will do it.
Thank you for putting him behind bars now with no bond…my son wouldn’t be allowed back into my home if he had done such to my husband.. sometimes you have to exhibit tough love..
They probably tossed him back in to protect his behind. I had a feeling that street justice might have crept up on him before trial.
Now for some justice. Finally.
It’ll never bring back their children but at least he can’t do it agin while out on bond.
A photo of Hunter Russell Black in another local media showed him with a smirk or slight smile on his lips. Unsure if that was from this horrible incident or a prior booking for him.
Mr. Eddins, thank you for putting this man into confinement and holding him, hopefully, until a trial can take place.
Praying for Peace in the hearts of the families who have lost so much and the community.
Praying for Justice in the courts for the two young lives lost so violently.
Don’t Drink or get High or Buzzed and drive, that is just STUPID.