Father, son reportedly visiting Orlando for UCF orientation killed in crash with drunk driver, cops say
A father and son from Colorado who were reportedly visiting Orlando for the son’s orientation at the University of Central Florida were killed Sunday by a repeat drunk driver, according to authorities.
Leslie Madeleine Gehret, 40, allegedly ran a red traffic light at the intersection of Lake Underhill Road and Rouse Road in Orange County, striking the side of victims’ vehicle as they attempted to make a left turn onto northbound Rouse Road.
The vehicle was being driven by 50-year-old Shane Lloyd, with 19-year-old Jakob Lloyd in the front passenger seat. According to reports by WFTV-Channel 9 and Fox 35, he two were in Orlando for Jakob Lloyd’s freshman orientation at UCF.
Shane Lloyd was pronounced dead at the scene, while Jakob Lloyd was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased as well.
Multiple witnesses at the scene of the crash stated that Gehret’s vehicle, a white Jeep Grand Cherokee, was speeding and observed the vehicle not obeying the traffic signal and its subsequent collision with the victim’s vehicle, according to her arrest report.
Gehret was taken to Advent Health East, where she was interviewed by law enforcement. Officers observed she had red and bloodshot eyes, spoke with a thick tongue and that the odor of alcohol was coming from her facial area, according to the report.
She declined to give a voluntary blood sample for a test for the presence of alcohol, according to law enforcement. A judge signed an emergency search warrant, allowing blood to be taken from Gahret that was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing.
Law enforcement found that Gehret’s driver’s license had been suspended since March and that she had three DUI convictions in the past.
Gehret was arrested and transported to Orange County Jail.
She faces two counts of vehicular homicide, one charge of driving with a suspended license with death, one charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and two counts of DUI manslaughter.
At an initial court appearance, her bail was set at just more than $700,000, records show.
She was also arrested in 2020 on charges of contempt of court for violating a no contact order with her daughter, according to Orange County court records. The records state that the daughter was the victim of aggravated battery and child abuse committed by Gehret.
