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Arrest made in deadly DUI crash

Chelsey Spence killed 8 months ago in Leesburg

LEESBURG, Fla. – Eight months after a woman was killed in a rollover accident, the man she was riding with has been arrested.

Florida Highway Patrol investigators arrested Mike Chavis, 25, on Wednesday and charged him with DUI manslaughter.

Investigators said Chavis and another friend were thrown from the vehicle after it hit a tree on Ocklawaha Drive last May, so they didn't know who was behind the wheel.

Blood evidence later placed Chavis in the driver's seat, according to the FHP.

Chelsey Spence, 25, was killed in the crash.

"I was happy for Chelsea," said Benita Botsford, Spence's grandmother.

Botsford said even though Chavis has never apologized to Spence's family for the accident, she doesn't want him to go to prison.

"Going to prison doesn't solve any problems, it makes more problems," she said. "They get to missing their parents in prison, and he can help support them."

Chavis has already bonded out of the Lake County Jail.

If he's convicted he could face 10 years in prison.


About the Author
Erik Sandoval headshot

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became a Manager of Content and Coverage in November 2024.

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