An incoming freshman at the University of Central Florida and his father were killed on the way to orientation Sunday afternoon after a repeat drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into their car, police say.
Shane Lloyd, 50, and 19-year-old Jakob Lloyd were turning through an intersection, having the right of way, when 40-year-old Leslie Gehret ran a red light at a high speed and crashed into the side of their vehicle, Click Orlando reported. Jakob lost his life at the scene, while Shane was rushed to a local hospital and succumbed to his injuries, according to CBS News.
Heartbreaking: An incoming UCF freshman and his Dad from Colorado, were killed in Orlando. Investigators say a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into their car.#Fox35 @fox35orlando pic.twitter.com/uPnWVcK7Me
— Valerie Boey FOX 35 (@vboey) July 11, 2023
“He was the best dad. He was a wonderful husband,” Shane Lloyd’s sister, Brandy Bowden, told CBS. “Everyone just aspired to be like him, and we all wanted to make him proud.” (RELATED: Democrat Arrested After Allegedly Drinking Alone In Liquor Store Parking Lot)
Gehret survived the crash and received medical treatment for minor injuries, according to the outlet. She was taken into custody at a Florida jail and is charged with two counts of homicide, two counts of manslaughter, driving with a suspended license and a DUI, Click Orlando reported.
“It is unreal. You are furious. You are numb. Your heart shatters,” Bowden told CBS. “It wasn’t an accident, and I think that’s what’s the worst.”
Gehret has been arrested on DUI charges three times in the past 10 years, Click Orlando reported, citing state troopers. Her license was revoked for six months in February as part of a plea deal for a DUI.
“This driver was on probation as well as having her license revoked at the time of the crash,” Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Migdalisis Garcia told Click Orlando. “It’s really devastating that she’s had several DUIs and still continues to drive that way.”
“Do not get behind the wheel of a car (when you are intoxicated), because a split second can change somebody’s life,” Bowden told CBS. “And the one who was drinking is always the one who walks away with minor injuries. And it’s not right.”