PUNTA GORDA — Cassandra Smith was sentenced to 29 years in prison Thursday for the fatal DUI crash that took the life of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Taylor.
A jury convicted Smith in December of DUI-manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI with injury, and DUI with property damage at the end of a four-day trial.
Taylor was killed Nov. 22, 2022 while conducting a traffic stop on I-75.
Smith’s vehicle reportedly swerved across three lanes of traffic and hit his parked patrol car. This caused the patrol car to strike both Taylor and the driver he had stopped.
Residents and members of Taylor’s squad provided medical aid at the scene, but the deputy couldn’t be revived and later died from his injuries. He had just turned 23 years old.
Charlotte Sheriff Bill Prummell issued this statement following the sentence:
“With today’s sentencing, Deputy Taylor’s families – both blood and blue – can take another step forward in finding closure. Seeing justice served is a big part of that, and although it won’t bring Chris back to us, it at least brings a bit of relief.