Dad, son killed on college trip in DUI crash, Florida officials say. Now driver sentenced

An incoming freshman at the University of Central Florida was on a road trip with his dad ahead of college orientation when an accused drunk driver killed them, according to Florida authorities.

A woman was clocked going nearly 90 miles an hour when she ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle carrying 19-year-old Jakob Lloyd and 50-year-old Shane Lloyd, authorities said.

Nine months after the fatal crash in Orlando, Leslie Gehret has been sentenced to 23 years in prison, Florida state attorney Andrew Bain announced April 8.

McClatchy News reached out to the woman’s public defender April 9 but did not immediately receive a response.

Gehret, who was 40 at the time of the July 9 crash, was driving with a suspended license and had three prior convictions for driving under the influence, officials said.

She collided with the Lloyds’ car turning at an intersection with the right of way, and their vehicle rolled multiple times, resulting in their fatal injuries, state troopers said.

“They were down there to get him ready to start his life and his career,” family member Shannon Brown said in an interview with WOFL.

At the hospital after the crash, state troopers reported that Gehret said she was “not that drunk.” A blood sample showed she still had an illegal amount of alcohol in her system ”even five hours after the crash,” authorities said.

She was sentenced on two charges of DUI manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of driving with a suspended license with death or serious injury, officials said.

The Lloyds’ family members celebrated the sentence as they continued to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Brown, the sister of Shane Lloyd and aunt to Jakob Lloyd, wrote that the woman’s “years in prison will never amount to the years that were stolen from my brother and my nephews life.”

She said the years Gehret will spend in prison will never make up for the “heartache” their family endures, but she’ll rest easier knowing the woman is off the road.

Jakob Lloyd was on the football team at his Colorado high school and also participated in lacrosse and wrestling, according to a social media post from his alma mater’s football team.

He also played the bass and aspired to become a lawyer, McClatchy News reported.

“Jakob was a true friend to many in Colorado and Texas where his smile and positive attitude were contagious,” family wrote in his obituary. “He was shy but always delivered a quick witted response. He enjoyed lifting weights, rooting for the Cleveland Browns and playing video games.”

Shane Lloyd, an athlete himself, was an electrical engineer who attended all of his three sons’ activities, family said.

Sydney Lloyd, the wife and mother of the two killed in the crash, told WOFL the situation is “surreal.”

“Crashes happen all the time. But then to think that the person who did it made the choice to drive intoxicated,” she told the outlet. “She knew she shouldn’t have been driving after she’d been drinking. Her license was suspended. She shouldn’t have been driving in the first place.”

The Lloyds’ family has a right to restitution, Florida officials said.

What to know about impaired driving

In 2020, nearly 12,000 people were killed in car crashes that involved drunk drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 30 people die each day in crashes where a driver is believed to be drunk, the CDC reported.

“Safe driving requires focus, coordination, good judgment, and quick reactions to the environment,” the CDC said. “Any alcohol or other drug use impairs the ability to drive safely.”

A person’s blood alcohol concentration can be measured, and the legal limit for driving in most states is 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter. Experts, however, say even lower levels of alcohol concentration can cause impairment.

The CDC says everyone can help prevent drunk driving with these steps:

• Don’t let friends drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

• Don’t ride with an impaired driver.

• If you’re hosting a party, remind guests to plan ahead.

• Arrange alternative transportation or have a designated driver.

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