On May 30, a Florida woman was sentenced to 67 years in prison for driving drunk in 2021, resulting in a crash that killed her cousin and seriously injured two others.
Jennifer Carvajal, 28, was sentenced by a Hillsborough Circuit judge for the deadly crash, despite the fact that she was on probation at the time for causing another fatal accident.
“She has now committed two acts of DUI and taken two people’s lives,” Judge Greg Green said during Carvajal’s sentencing hearing. “It’s almost as if instead of taking every step to avoid putting yourself in that situation again, you took affirmative steps to ensure that it happened.”
According to a criminal affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies observed Carvajal speeding in her silver Hyundai at nearly 110 mph on Interstate 4 on April 25, 2021.
Carvajal lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit the highway, causing it to become airborne before colliding with a palm tree and a utility pole, the affidavit stated. The collision caused the vehicle to flip several times before landing upside down at a nearby car dealership.
Carvajal was transported to Tampa General Hospital with minor injuries, while three passengers were transported with serious injuries. One man, Pedro Carvajal, Carvajal’s cousin, was pronounced dead around 1 p.m., according to the criminal affidavit.
Carvajal was interviewed at the hospital by Florida Highway Patrol officers, who discovered she was still impaired. According to the affidavit, she had glassy eyes, slurred speech, was having difficulty staying awake, and smelled of alcohol.
According to authorities, Carvajal’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.102, which was higher than the legal limit of 0.08.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Carvajal called Pedro’s sister hours after the crash and asked her to inform the others that she was not driving the car.
According to her online arrest record, Carvajal was arrested on multiple charges of driving under the influence, including personal injury and vehicular homicide. She did not receive a life sentence, but her sentence is more than double the state’s recommended 33 years, according to the Times.
Carvajal, 16, killed a 52-year-old man in 2014 after running a red light and colliding with his car while intoxicated, according to the outlet. She had spent four years in prison and was on probation at the time of the second fatal crash.
In court, and in the 2014 case, judges heard testimony about Carvajal’s turbulent childhood, during which she was sexually abused by male relatives at the age of nine, according to the Times. The abuse only became apparent after she was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.
Carvajal’s attorney told the local outlet that she never received any mental health treatment. According to the attorney, she considered suicide, harmed herself with broken glass, and began drinking at the age of 11 to cope with her trauma.
During her May sentencing, Carvajal addressed the court quietly, her face hidden in her hair. “No matter how many sorrys I say to each of you, or even him, I could never forgive myself,” she told me.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Pedro’s family members testified in court that he was a devoted father, a diligent worker, and a faithful friend.
“There is a void in my heart,” Pedro’s mother, Jazmin Lopez Dominguez, stated in court. “The decision Jennifer made in that moment caused a lot of pain and suffering in our lives – and Julian who is growing up without knowing his father.”
