BRADENTON, Fla. -- A former Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy was found guilty of DUI in connection with a May 2016 crash in Palmetto that killed a passenger on a motorcycle. He was found not guilty, however, of manslaughter in the case.
- Timothy Vaughan formerly a 9-year veteran deputy
- Ally Marler, 20 at the time of the crash, killed
- Vaughn's sentencing scheduled for 11 a.m. May 25
On Thursday Vaughan took the stand, defending his actions on May 5, 2016. He admitted he'd had about eight beers that night before getting behind the wheel.
According to Vaughan, he was driving down U.S. 301 when a motorcycle appeared out of nowhere. Prosecutors, however, argued that the motorcycle was clearly sitting at a red light when Vaughan crashed into it.
"Basically, the last thing I remember from once (sic) I struck something is I didn't even know what it was ... was that my airbag deployed in my face," Vaughan explained.
Investigators said the front of Vaughan's 2015 Kia Sportage struck the back of the motorcycle carrying driver Zachary Morris, then 21, and passenger Alexandria "Ally" Marler, then 20. Marler was thrown from the motorcycle into the street, at which time Vaughan struck her with his car.
Marler was transported to Blake Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. She was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to investigators.
Marler left behind a daughter, who is now four years old.
When asked if he thought about the fact that he was putting others at risk by driving when he'd been drinking that day, Vaughan said, "I wasn't thinking about it like that at the time."
Vaughan's defense attorneys did not fight the fact that Vaughan was drunk. Instead, they argued that he did not cause Marler's death.
Vaughan is set for a sentencing hearing at 11 a.m. on Friday.