MILTON — A Jay man faces 41 years in state prison for a 2014 crash that killed one person and seriously injured another.
Melvin D. Hawthorne, 36, caused the crash Aug. 17, 2014, just 12 hours after bonding out of jail.
Hawthorne bonded out at 9 a.m., and was speeding in his stepfather’s truck on a rural road when he attempted to pass a Ford 150 that was towing a boat and traveling the legal speed limit, according to a media release from state attorney Bill Eddins’ office.
He sideswiped the truck, ran a stop sign, backed up and continued speeding down State Road 4. He failed to turn, crashed into a railing, backed up again and continued speeding until he rear-ended a Dodge Neon carrying five people.
Renee Russell, of Baker, was driving the Dodge with passenger Kevin McLaughlin.
A passenger in the back seat, 13-year-old Shawn McLaughlin, was trapped in the crash and died at the scene, the release said. A 10-year-old and a 14-year-old were also seriously injured.
Hawthorne, who tested positive for high levels of methamphetamine, was driving about 83 miles per hour, nearly 30 miles over the posted speed limit, according to Florida Highway Patrol, which investigated the crash.
He was also convicted of driving with a suspended license, careless or negligent operation of a vehicle resulting in death, DUI with serious bodily injury and DUI with property damage, the release said.
A Santa Rosa County jury convicted him of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
Circuit Judge Ross M. Goodman sentenced Hawthorne Aug. 12 to 41 years in state prison, according to a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office media release.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Jay man sentenced for fatal crash with Baker resident