A Florida man who was accused of crashing into a motorcyclist before plowing into a Good Samaritan in a deadly crash was sentenced Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The 41-year-old driver was charged with two counts of driving under the influence manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to five terms of life in prison by the State Attorney’s Office for the 18th Judicial Circuit. These sentences will run concurrently.
The incident happened in March 2021 on S.R. 46 in Sanford, about 25 miles north of Orlando. The man allegedly hit the motorcyclist then, while doing a U-turn, hit a one in a group of Good Samaritans who were trying to render aid, according to the newspaper. After hitting Campbell, the driver drove off the side of the road until he hit a fence and came to a stop in a trench.
Prosecutors presented evidence in court that the driver was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the deadly crash. Defense attorneys attempted to argue their client was not fit to stand trial, however, in February a judge deemed him competent and moved forward with the proceedings.
The motorcyclist was identified by local media as 73-year-old Vincent Russo and the Good Samaritan was Jenica Campbell, 39.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has 48 years of personal injury experience litigating all manner of cases stemming from injuries and deaths on Florida roads. Our attorneys have handled thousands of cases over the years, many of which have resulted in historic and record verdicts and settlements secured on behalf of injured clients and their grieving families.
In nearly five decades, the firm has secured more than $230 million for cases involving motor vehicle crashes in the state. One such case includes a historic 11th Judicial Circuit case involving a drunk driver going down the wrong side I-95 at breakneck speed who hit a family on their way to the airport. The family was heading to the airport to drop off their daughter at her medical school’s orientation. Tragically, their daughter was killed in the head-on collision. She was 23.
Their 21-year-old son sustained permanent brain and orthopedic injuries. He now requires a wheelchair and round-the-clock care.
In an investigation, our attorneys found that the driver had been overserved at a popular Miami bar before he began driving.
The firm obtained $95 million for the family, with $57 million going to the son and $38 million to his parents. This marks the largest verdict in Miami-Dade County history and the fourth-largest in the state.
“The result in this case shows what hard work and creative lawyering can do for clients with devastating injuries,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Along with co-counsel Aaron Davis, we are happy to settle with two defendants and to obtain this record verdict for them.”
Previous Cases
Florida roads are among some of the deadliest in the United States with 380,869 crashes and 3,146 fatalities in 2024. In 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control, the state had over 17,000 crash-related deaths. Other states with high, crash-related fatalities included Texas, California, Pennsylvania, New York and California.
As of Friday, April 18, 2025, Florida had 96,157 crashes with 742 fatalities, according to the Crash Dashboard from the Department of Highw2ay Safety and Motor Vehicles. Of these crashes, about 2,500 involved motorcycles with 137 deaths and 2,844 involved pedestrians, causing 151 deaths.
Leesfield & Partners obtained an $8.5 million settlement following a $27 million arbitration award for the family of a young woman who was killed by a pickup truck driver while trying to cross the street. The woman, a wife and mother of two, was visiting Florida from her home in Toronto, Canada, when she was crushed by a pickup truck. The driver in that case claimed to not have seen her.
In the case of a woman who was walking back to her office following a midday break, Partner Justin B. Shapiro secured the maximum recoverable amount set forth in the defendant’s insurance policy limits. The woman was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk when a pickup truck driver made an illegal left turn, claiming to not have seen her. Injuries to our client included skull fractures and brain hemorrhages in addition to injuries to her left leg.
A $6 million settlement was secured for the client in that case.
In another pedestrian-involved case, Leesfield & Partners obtained a $2.9 million recovery our client who was injured due to a driver’s negligence.
The firm settled a pedestrian case in which our client was hit while walking on the sidewalk by a driver who was distracted by a cellphone. That case was resolved with a $1.5 million settlement.
In a tragic, fatal pedestrian case, Leesfield & Partners secured over $1.3 million for a driver’s negligence.
A child who was crossing the street suffered a traumatic brain injury after a driver hit him. In that case, Leesfield & Partners secured a $1.2 million settlement for the Fort Lauderdale family.