A man was sentenced for two counts of vehicular manslaughter of a woman and her six-month-old infant in Central Florida.
A jury convicted Corey Andrews French, 34, of two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of felony possession of a firearm, and one count of violating a domestic violence injunction by possessing a firearm. Judge Daniel Merritt sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison.
On January 10, 2022, French was driving south on U.S. 19 near Brooksville, Florida, when he went through a red light and over the median into the northbound lanes. Amber West, 35, was turning when her vehicle was struck by the defendant’s car. First responders confirmed West’s death on the scene. Kody Burbage, West’s six-month-old infant, died less than an hour later as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
The defendant was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries received during the collision. While officials were cleaning the crash scene, they ran a full inventory of the defendant’s vehicle, discovering a weapon in the center console. French, a convicted felon with a domestic violence injunction, is not allowed to carry a firearm. The defendant was first arrested on this accusation, pending the outcome of the collision investigation.
During the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation, witnesses reported witnessing the defendant driving erratically, colliding with a stalled car, and damaging it soon before the tragic accident. One witness’s dash cam video footage revealed that the defendant was driving at high speeds at the moment of the impact.
After analyzing the evidence given and the witness’ comments, French was detained and charged.
D. Robert Lewis, the Assistant State Attorney, successfully prosecuted this case.
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