ORLANDO, Fla. – A family is in mourning after troopers said an accused drunk driver hit and killed a father and a son who were visiting Orlando for the son’s college orientation.
Brandy Bowden told News 6 that her brother — 50-year-old Shane Lloyd — and her 19-year-old nephew Jakob Lloyd were the people killed Sunday near Lake Underhill Road and Rouse Road near the University of Central Florida.
Troopers said Leslie Gehret was driving drunk when she ran a red light, slamming into the family’s car and causing it to overturn.
“It’s a pain I never knew I could feel,” Bowden said. “She didn’t do it on accident. She was drunk driving.”
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Bowden said her nephew Jakob was an athlete, played in the orchestra and had just graduated from high school in Colorado. He was visiting UCF this past weekend with his father, where he was planning to major in forensic chemistry in the fall.
“She was selfish. A father was there to take his son to college orientation so he can start his adult life. It was ripped away,” Bowden said.
Gehret faced a judge on Monday. Troopers said she’s been arrested on DUI charges three times in the past 10 years. That includes Sunday’s incident near UCF, a case in New York and another case in July after Orlando police said she was pulled off the road near Colonial Drive while impaired. In that case, court records show she pleaded no contest to DUI, and as part of that plea deal, her license was revoked for six months in February.
“This can’t keep happening. Too many people are dying because people are on their second, third, fourth strike. When is enough, enough?” Bowden said.
“This driver was on probation as well as having her license revoked at the time of the crash,” said Trooper Migdalisis Garcia from the Florida Highway Patrol. “It’s really devastating that she’s had several DUIs and still continues to drive that way.”
Gehret is charged with two counts of homicide, two counts of manslaughter, driving with a suspended license and DUI. Her bond was set at about $702,000.
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