Kayla Maria Mendoza, 22, was sentenced in a Florida court on Monday to 24 years in prison for a wrong-way DUI accident that killed the two women in the other vehicle.
In 2013, when Mendoza was under the legal drinking age, she consumed two large margaritas, each in a “fish bowl size” glass, before driving home. According to authorities, she was driving around 80 miles per hour into oncoming traffic when she collided with another vehicle killing the two occupants. At the time of the accident, Mendoza had traces of marijuana in her system, had a blood alcohol content was 0.15 percent, and did not have her driver’s license.
What makes Mendoza’s actions particularly egregious is that, before she got into her vehicle that night, she tweeted “2 drunk 2 care.”
Earlier this year, Mendoza pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter.
Although Mendoza faced 30 years in prison, Judge David Haimes sentenced her to 24 years citing her age, her remorse, and her lack of criminal history.
“Hopefully after you finish [this] sentence you can put this behind you,” said Judge Haimes.
Mendoza’s sentence comes one week after another Florida woman pleaded not guilty for charges stemming from a DUI collision where, before the collision, she texted her boyfriend, “driving drunk woo,” and “I’ll be dead thanks to you…”
In 2013, Mila Dago, 22, had a blood alcohol content of 0.178 percent when she got behind the wheel of a rented Smart Car.
Dago, who was in the midst of a breakup with her boyfriend, sent him 60 text messages that night, the last of which said, “driving drunk,” I’ll be dead thanks to you,” and “lata.”
It wasn’t, however, Dago who was dead following the collision. It was her passenger, Irina Reinoso who died instantly when Dago t-boned a truck.
Dago was charged with manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and driving under the influence.
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