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I-10 Wrong Way Driver Gets 15 Years For DUI Manslaughter, DUI Bodily Injury

December 18, 2021

A wrong-way driver has been sentenced to state prison for the death of a man on I-10 in Escambia County during early the morning of June 20, 2020.

Theresa Bernadette King was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Coleman Lee Robinson to serve 15 years for DUI manslaughter and DUI causing serious bodily injury.

King, age 47 of McKinney, Texas, was under the influence of Xanax and alcohol when she caused a head-on collision at approximately 1:30 a.m. on I-10. King had entered the interstate in the wrong direction from the rest area. The crash caused the death of a 25-year old man from Theodore, Alabama, and caused serious injuries to his 34-year old male passenger.

Prosecutors said King had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 and had alprazolam (Xanax) in her system. A bottle of wine was also found in her vehicle following the crash.

Four years of the prison sentence must be served as a mandatory minimum sentence. King’s driver’s license was permanently suspended.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

9 Responses to “I-10 Wrong Way Driver Gets 15 Years For DUI Manslaughter, DUI Bodily Injury”

David Huie Green on December 24th, 2021 5:23 pm

REGARDING:
“Don’t stay in the left lane after passing even if you are moving faster than most other vehicles. I don’t know if the victim here was doing that, but I see a lot of people day and night hogging the left lane on the interstate highway”

Quite often three lanes each way and some in the right lane fuming about people in the other two.
Mike J. on December 20th, 2021 12:29 pm

Don’t stay in the left lane after passing even if you are moving faster than most other vehicles. I don’t know if the victim here was doing that, but I see a lot of people day and night hogging the left lane on the interstate highway. A wrong-way driver travelling in their right lane will be your left lane. It may be rare but still happens and sometimes difficult to see until it’s too late.
David Huie Green on December 19th, 2021 10:40 pm

REGARDING:
“Thank goodness the legal BAC was reduced to .08 because so many arrests are due to those between a .08 and .1, such as this case. ”

Consider “King had a blood alcohol level of 0.13″

0.08 is lower than 0.10 or
0.1 is greater than 0.08
0.11 is greater than 0.10
0.12 is greater than 0.11
0.13 is greater than 0.12

She was 30% above the old standard, 62.5% above the current standard. She was driving under the influence of alcohol in her blood system either way. Add other drugs’ influence on brain function and legal guilt is fairly well established even under more lax standards.
“At 0.02 percent BAC, drivers may experience loss of good judgment or a decline in visual functions.
“At 0.05 percent BAC, motorists may experience lowered alertness, reduced coordination, and have difficulty steering or responding to emergency driving situations in a timely manner.
“At 0.08 percent BAC, drivers may have poor muscle coordination, short-term memory loss, impaired perception, and difficulty concentrating.
“At 0.10 percent BAC, reaction time and thinking slows, and motorists may have trouble braking or staying in their lane.”
per https://www.steinberginjurylawyers.com

Notice the use of the word “may” implying results may vary.
It stands to reason that any alcohol would have some effect but nobody seems to be pushing that standard, too many who can picture themselves being convicted under that standard.

The irrationality of faulting providers of products for the misuse of products was properly addressed by JR.
@NPC on December 19th, 2021 10:24 pm

You are 100% wrong about punishing companies for when people misuse their products.
JR on December 19th, 2021 1:21 am

NPC,
Alcohol producing companies did not drive that car. Why punish them, for what someone else did?
Someone on the cell, cause an accident where someone dies, you want to punish cell phone companies?
SMH
Long time voter on December 18th, 2021 3:34 pm

Going to remember the name of THAT JUDGE!!
Circuit Court Judge Coleman Lee Robinson

He was appointed to the court on April 24, 2015, by Gov. Rick Scott (R) to fill the vacancy created by Judge Ross L. Bilbrey’s appointment to the Florida First District Court of Appeal.[1]Robinson was scheduled to face an election to stay in the seat in 2016. No other candidates filed for the primary race, which was to be held on August 30, 2016. The unopposed election was canceled, and Robinson was automatically elected to a six-year term ending in January 2023. [Ballotpedia]

Circuit Court Judge Coleman Lee Robinson office 850-595-0473.
[1] Florida Politics, “Gov. Scott names Coleman Lee Robinson to the First Judicial Circuit Court,” April 25, 2016
NPC on December 18th, 2021 3:16 pm

Thank goodness the legal BAC was reduced to .08 because so many arrests are due to those between a .08 and .1, such as this case. It is time for drunk driving laws to have more severe consequences and in the case when a life is lost there should be penalties for alcohol producing companies as with tobacco companies. A 4 year mandatory term for taking a life is not punishment, it is an insult to the life of an individual and their family.
David Huie Green on December 18th, 2021 2:35 pm

REGARDING:
“Prosecutors said King had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 and had alprazolam (Xanax) in her system. A bottle of wine was also found in her vehicle following the crash.”

Things in her blood were legitimate evidence against her. Things in a bottle, not so much. An open or partially emptied bottle more so. Completely empty wouldn’t even tell you much since those may have been picked up or empty for years.

Again, that in her blood matters.

David for drug free blood
Deborah Daugherty on December 18th, 2021 12:03 pm

15 years is all she gets for killing innocent person seems so very unfair to me…something just ain’t right here

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News