Woman with Previous DUI Manslaughter Charge Kills Again in Drunk Driving Car Accident

A Florida woman was convicted in 2016 to serve five years in prison for DUI manslaughter arising from her killing of person while driving drunk in the Sunshine State. As unbelievable as it might seem, this same person killed yet another person while driving drunk this past week. In the most recent incident, the driver (identified as Jennifer Carvajal, age 24) also seriously injured two other people.

Carvajal was bulleting down Interstate 4 in Hillsborough County at around 1:30 a.m. She has three passengers in her vehicle, was highly intoxicated, and was behind the wheel.

Carvajal roared past a Florida Highway Patrol officer on duty. The law enforcement officer clocked on radar Carvajal moving at 111 miles per hour.

The officer proceeded to attempt to pull the driver over. She may have been attempting to elude the officer, although that remains unclear at the moment. Her driving was terribly erratic as a result of the significant impairment caused by alcohol.

What is known that while traveling at a very high rate of speed, and with the officer attempting to pull her over, Carvajal attempted to make a right-hand turn. When she attempted the turn, it appears Carvajal lost control of her car, resulting in a horrific crash at the shoulder of the roadway.

The impact with the roadside itself caused the car to roll violently down an embankment. The flew over a fence demarcating a Ford dealership along the highway. At that juncture, the vehicle crashed into a parked truck at the dealership.

Two of the passengers in the car were ejected during the horrifying incident. The third passenger was flung to the rear of the car. A 22-year-old male passenger was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. The other two passengers were admitted to the hospital and are listed in serious condition with significant injuries. None of the passengers were thought to be wearing seatbelts at the time of the fatal crash.

The intoxicated driver evidently was wearing her seatbelt. Despite the fatal and serious injuries sustained by her passengers, officials report that Carvajal sustained minor injuries. She was taken to the hospital, although her current status is unknown. She was taken into police custody and jailed following medical treatment. No information is yet available regarding the status of bail or a pretrial release.

As a result of the deadly accident caused by Carvajal, the woman faces the following in the way of criminal charges:

• Reckless driving
• Driving under the influence
• Driving without a license
• Probation violation

Additional charges arising out the death and injuries to other passengers are pending. Those charges are expected to be announced in the fairly immediate future.

As mentioned a moment ago, this is not the first time that Carvajal has caused a fatal motor vehicle accident while drunk driving. In the prior case, after receiving a five year prison sentence for the prior DUI manslaughter conviction in 2016, she was released from incarceration in 2019. Her release was supervised as she was listed on probation at the time of the most recent deadly accident. The possibility does exist that the probation violation stems from yet another crime, a point that remains to be clarified.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a drunk driving car accident, or if you’ve lost a family member in a catastrophic motor vehicle accident, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. You can reach us any time of the day or night by calling (800) 349-0000. Our Houston car accident lawyer hotline is staffed 365 days a year, including all major holidays.

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