Daytona Beach, FL – A South Daytona man gets 13 years in prison for a drunk driving accident that killed a Port Orange couple nearly 2 years ago.
34-year-old Patrick Ryan Shea entered a no contest plea in a Volusia County courtroom on Wednesday to 2 counts of driving under the influence causing death.
Shea was arrested in April 2014, nearly 6 months after the October 2013 crash that killed 70-year-old James “Buz” Shinaver and Teresa Cervi Shinaver, his 58-year-old wife.
The Port Orange Police Department says Shea had a blood alcohol content of 0.115 – which is over the legal limit – on the night of October 27, 2013.
Police believe Shea was driving a rented BMW X5 when he blew through a red light going around 75 miles per hour – more than 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit – and crashed into the Shinavers’ 2006 Nissan Pathfinder at the intersection of Yorktown Boulevard and Dunlawton Avenue.
POPD says the Pathfinder was stopped at a red light heading north on Yorktown and then tried to cross the intersection once it turned green.
That’s when officers say Shea – who was coming westbound on Dunlawton – ran the red light and hit the Shinavers’ vehicle on the passenger side, causing it to overturn and hit a curb, a traffic signal control box, and a sidewalk light.
The Shinavers were both trapped in the vehicle, she in the driver’s seat and he in the front passenger, according to POPD. Both died at the scene.
2 passengers riding with Shea were also hurt and had to be taken to the hospital, as did Shea himself.
Both vehicles were totaled as a result of the crash.
Spencer Hathaway – a spokesman for 7th Circuit State Attorney RJ Larizza – says Shea will be placed on 10 years of probation once he leaves prison and will not be able to legally get a driver’s license for the rest of his life.
Patrick Ryan Shea (mugshot courtesy Volusia County Jail)
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