Florida Man Gets 12 Years For DUI-Manslaughter Conviction

LARGO – 2 years after he killed a friend in a driving under the influence incident when he crashed into a concrete pole, 33-year-old Garrett Bruce escaped to Texas with his wife and children in an apparent attempt to avoid jail sentence, but on Monday Bruce stood in court and got a prison sentence of 12 years with three years’ probation.

This sentence was only for his DUI-manslaughter conviction. He has to appear in court on Friday to find out if he has to serve any additional jail time for failing to appear in court.

He had previously pleaded no contest to DUI-manslaughter in the 2011 accident that happened on Meres Boulevard in Tarpon Springs, as a result of which 26-year-old Patrick Vosbein, who worked with Bruce at Papa John’s Pizza in Tarpon Springs, died.

Vosbein was riding with Bruce in the back seat of his Dodge Charger when the accident happened and he died. Police said Bruce had reached the speed of 104 mph at the time of the incident.

On Monday while speaking in court, Bruce said Vosbein was full of life, really great guy to be around, made everybody smile. “Never in a million years did I think that things would go the way that they went. And I’m truly sorry.”

According to Vosbein’s parents and fiancée, they are in pain and bearing sorrow after his death.

Christopher Vosbein said, “I don’t think I’ll ever completely get over my son’s death”.

His fiancée Leah Selevan said, “I could get through anything because I knew he was always going to be there for me. And when he died that was the hardest part because I had nobody to go to”.

Bruce faced a maximum sentence of 15 years for the DUI-manslaughter charge. Bruce’s lawyer Rex Blake asked for 4 years, referencing his guilt and clean record.

Assistant State Attorney Greg Groger said that Bruce did not show guilt when he took his family to Texas earlier in 2014 to avoid prosecution and sentencing. Bruce replied that he was attempting to get his family settled, and planned to return to Florida to face trial. Another lawyer said that Bruce would be willing to plead guilty to failure to appear in court if he could be sentenced to the time he already had served in the Pinellas County Jail.

News Source: www.TampaBay.com