Cleveland Browns football player Donte’ Stallworth agreed to plead guilty to a DUI manslaughter charge after a fatal auto accident caused the wrongful death of a pedestrian.
Our San Diego car accident attorneys are always shocked when another DUI car crash happens. Even more surprising is when athletes or celebrities drink and drive. Don’t these people make enough money to hire a chauffeur or call a taxi? There are countless amounts of cases proving that drinking and driving is a bad combination, yet there are still drivers that believe they can get away with driving a car intoxicated.
Stallworth has been charged with DUI and is responsible for the wrongful death of a Florida resident.
Drunk-drivers cause too many car accidents, and DUI car accidents are the worst types of car crashes. The diminished instincts and reflexes from drinking can lead to a wrong move by a driver, and one wrong move can cause a car accident.
In an effort to prevent further drunk driving accidents, our car accident attorneys have put together a resource page with ways you can prevent drunk driving. On this page, you’ll find links to organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving or Students Against Drunk Driving. There is also information to help you figure out whether or not you may have an alcohol problem.
Too many times in drunk driving accidents, prevention is key.
In this DUI case, Stallworth’s drunk-driving caused the wrongful death of a pedestrian after he was hit by Stallworth’s car.
Miami Beach police said Stallworth was drinking at a bar at a hotel in Miami. He left to go to one of the three properties he owns in the Miami area. Once there, he headed out in his black car on MacArthur Causeway, which links beaches to downtown Miami.
Stallworth had a reported blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, which is well above the limit of .08. Stallworth stopped after the crash and immediately told police he hit 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Police estimated he was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone.
Stallworth’s sentence consists of 30 days in jail, eight years of probation, two years of house arrest, suspension of his license and 1,000 hours of community service. He has also been suspended by the NFL indefinitely, and NFL commissioner Roger Goddell is expected to make a ruling on Stallworth’s NFL future.
Does this seem like a proper punishment for someone who caused the wrongful death of a man because of his irresponsibility leading him to drive drunk? Football players and regular citizens both have the ability to call a cab or a friend if they think about driving drunk. Is this not a better idea?
The San Diego car accident attorneys believe this sentence may be what the courts of Miami decided, but there is no punishment or price that can compare with the life of another human being.
Call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney and find out how we can help you. We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.
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- Miami Heat’s Dorell Wright Arrested For Drunk Driving
- Fatal Car Accident Leads To Wrongful Death Of Former Football Player
- College Football Player Recovering From Car Accident Injuries
Tags: Donte’ Stallworth, DUI, DUI manslaughter charge, Miami, pedestrian accident
NFL Star Athlete or Murderer
Pro athletes have become more popular than ever lately. It’s not for their excellent ability on the field, yet it’s the careless actions that they make off the field. The most recent case of this was Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth. He made the worst decision of his life by getting behind the wheel of his Bentley Continental GT while intoxicated.
During the early morning hours on March 14, 2009 Donte Stallworth and his entourage all left a Miami Beach Club intoxicated. Instead of getting someone to drive him home he decided to drive himself. 59 year old family man Mario Reyes never knew that the unthinkable would happen to him that night while he was walking from work. While driving home from the night of partying at the club Donte Stallworth struck and killed him while he was crossing the road walking to the bus stop from work. He said he saw Mr.Reyes crossing the road and he flashed his headlights at him. Stallworth said that Reyes hesitated but continued to cross anyway , reports say he tried to veer the vehicle to avoid striking him but he wasn’t quick enough. He struck and killed Mr.Reyes. Donta instantly called paramedics. While the paramedics tended to Mr.Reyes Donta was given a field sobriety test. Mario Reyes was rushed to a trauma center where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
That night Donta’s blood alcohol level was .126 with the legal limit being .08. The 29 year old Stallworth also tested positive for marijuana that night. Stallworth completed cooperated with investigators during the entire investigation process. On June 16, 2009 Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI and manslaughter. He was sentenced to 30 days in prison , 2 years of house arrest , 8 years probation , $10,000 in fines , and 1,000 in community service. Stallworth also was suspended without pay for the 2009- 2010 season even though he had just signed a seven year $35 million dollar contract. He also reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the Reyes family.
Donta received several punishments , but I feel that he should have received more jail time than he got. Even though it is the first time anything will be recorded on his criminal record, he was driving drunk and he took a man’s life. There is no exception for taking someones life accident or not. He took that man away from his wife of 20 years and a 15 year old daughter. That’s something that he must live with the rest of his life and they must live without the rest of their life. I believe that he got off easy with the punishments he received. The best thing for him about the whole situation was that he acted as a man should and faced up to the terrible decisions that he made. He has a second chance coming with his career and in life I hope he let this be a lesson to him.