VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – More than three months after a single-vehicle crash that left a Deltona woman dead, Volusia County deputies said Thursday that the man in the driver’s seat had a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal limit when the wreck happened.
The crash on May 7 seriously injured Carlos Palmer, 37, who investigators said was driving 33-year-old Megan Tapp’s car. The two traveled north on Providence Boulevard as Palmer lost control of the car, crossed a median and crashed into a tree; Tapp was pronounced dead at the scene and Palmer was airlifted to a hospital with critical injuries, deputies said.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: Here’s when Florida’s minimum wage will go up again | CONE, MODELS, MORE: Tropical Storm Fiona | Enter to win Kroger grocery gift card | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, a traffic homicide investigation found Palmer had a blood alcohol content of 0.259g/100 mL at the time of the crash — about 3.2 times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08g/100mL — and was traveling at least 63 mph in a 35 mph zone. Additionally, deputies said Palmer’s license had been suspended since 2010.
Volusia deputies said they obtained a warrant for Palmer’s arrest in July, yet were unable to locate him at various addresses. He was taken into custody Aug. 23 in Geneva by deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, according to a news release.
Palmer faces a charge of DUI manslaughter and driving with a suspended license resulting in death. He was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he was being held on a $110,000 bond, deputies said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: