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Escambia County Woman Sentenced In Fatal DUI Crash After Mardi Gras Parade
September 12, 2020
An Escambia County woman has been sentenced for a deadly DUI crash after a Mardi Gras parade last year.
Circuit Court Judge Jan Shackelford sentenced Cherri Lee Baker to 13 years and seven months in prison for DUI manslaughter, DUI causing injury, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and leaving the scene of a crash involving injury.
After attending a Mardi Gras parade on March 2, 2019, Baker was traveling eastbound on Cervantes Street in a Nissan Rogue when she merged into a lane occupied by a Honda Accord. The Accord was driven by 35-year old Brian Nielson of Pensacola with his wife, 31-year old Neilimar Sanchez-Neilson in the passenger seat.
The driver of a Dodge Dakota did not have sufficient time to react then hit the Accord.
Sanchez-Neilson did not survive her injuries. Nielson and the driver of the Dodge Dakota were injured.
Baker fled the scene and abandoned her vehicle a short distance way.
“However, she was located and apprehended by the Pensacola Police Department due to the assistance of a witness who followed her from the scene of the crash. Analysis of a sample of her blood taken after the crash revealed a blood-alcohol content of .184, over twice the legal limit,” State Attorney Bill Eddins said.
Baker had been previously convicted of DUI in 2013.
Comments
4 Responses to “Escambia County Woman Sentenced In Fatal DUI Crash After Mardi Gras Parade”
Judge Jan…you need to be voted out of office for being too lenient. We will remember.
So seven years after her last D.U.I. she gets another only this time she kills someone. Lord only knows what she will do after thirteen years.
@RC, a few short years ? She’ll do 11.54 years, if she doesn’t get into trouble inside. Jump on the city for promoting a “party” atmosphere. They all make $$ off of this. Want to ban something, ban alcohol then. No ? Then you’ll have these kinds of incidents.
NO! Second conviction, death, leaving the scene, and she got 13 years while Mrs Neilson got LIFE!!!! She needs to be an example for DUI drivers, but the sentence doesn’t go far enought to discourage drunk driving. Just think in a few short years she will be out to kill someone else!