A woman taken into custody in late March after she was accused of DUI manslaughter was re-arrested by authorities on May 6 on a charge of vehicular homicide.
Here’s what we know:
Who is the defendant?
Melinda Yvonne Dillon, 35.
Arresting agency
Florida Highway Patrol.
Where was she arrested?
At FHP’s building located off Southeast 25th Avenue.
Why was she arrested?
According to FHP, troopers continued investigating a deadly crash that occurred March 21 along Interstate 75. Data recovered from Dillon’s Nissan showed that roughly 2.5 seconds before the collision, the vehicle was traveling 116 mph. About two seconds before the crash, the Nissan was moving at 113 mph. One second before impact, the vehicle was traveling 101 mph. When the Nissan struck the victim’s motorcycle, the speed was estimated between 82 mph and 88 mph. The speed limit on I-75 is 70 mph, officials said.
Authorities said Dillon’s blood was collected and revealed a blood alcohol content of .144. Florida’s legal limit is .08.
FHP officials said Dillon was on her way to pick up her son in Marion Oaks at the time of the crash.
Troopers said that when she was arrested on May 6, Dillon told them she did not understand why she was being detained. When she was first taken into custody, she reportedly told troopers the other driver was responsible for killing the motorcyclist.
According to FHP, Dillon’s Nissan was traveling south in the outside lane of I-75 near Mile Marker 349, just south of the State Road 200 interchange.
Ahead of the Nissan was a Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Jasmine Elizabeth Brown, 22, of Deer Island. Troopers said a Cadillac SUV driven by 68-year-old LeAnn James of Tampa was traveling in the center lane behind the Nissan and motorcycle.
The Nissan rear-ended the motorcycle, ejecting Brown into the roadway, where she landed in the path of the SUV and was struck, officials said.
Brown, a mother, was taken to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
Dillon’s driving record spans nearly 20 years and shows more than $2,500 in fines, including for speeding, driving on a suspended license, and failure to stop at a traffic signal.
During Dillon’s March 23 hearing, prosecutors requested pretrial detention, which was granted. At a March 27 pretrial hearing, another judge set bond at $252,000. The bond was posted March 28, and Dillon was released.
Following her May 6 arrest, Dillon was held without bond and appeared via Zoom before County Judge Lori Cotton on May 7 for her first appearance. Two days earlier, on May 5, Dillon had been arraigned on charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI with property damage stemming from the March 21 crash. Her attorney, Christopher Smith, waived her appearance for that hearing.
During the May 7 hearing, Judge Cotton said there was probable cause for Dillon’s arrest. Dillon told the judge she had gone to the highway patrol office to retrieve her belongings when she was taken into custody. The prosecutor requested her bond be set at the same amount as in her previous case.
Dillon told the judge she is a nurse and had been working in hospice care, but because one of her bond conditions prevents her from driving, she is currently working from home as a customer service representative. She said she had started the job two days earlier.
Judge Cotton set Dillon’s bond at $250,000. If bond is posted, the judge said Dillon is prohibited from driving or consuming alcohol.What’s next?
Dillon’s next court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 9. If convicted at trial, she could face a sentence of at least 30 years in prison.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Woman charged with DUI manslaughter re-arrested for vehicular homicide
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
