Man sentenced in crash that killed a 30-year-old woman in Lake County

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A Lake County man was sentenced to 135 months on June 18 in the Florida Department of Corrections for a crash back in April 25, 2022 that killed a 30-year-old woman.

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On April 25, 2022, officers with the Eustis Police Department responded to a traffic crash at the intersection of North Grove Street and Pendleton Avenue in Eustis.

When officers arrived, they found a motorcycle that was carrying 66-year-old Edgar Wesley Tello and 30-year-old Rebekah Jo Towner.

Emergency responders aided Tello as he was near the motorcycle and was transferred to a local hospital for his injuries.

Rebekah was located about 10 feet away from the motorcycle under a guard rail due to the impact of the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene.

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Witnesses to the crash say they saw the motorcycle heading north on North Grove Street and saw the couple pass by in the right lane.

Once they passed, the witness noticed swerving before it eventually hit a curb.

While investigating the scene, officers noticed a mostly empty alcoholic beverage bottle.

Officers later made contact with Tello, where he admitted he had drunk prior to meeting with Rebekah and while he was with her as well.

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A toxicology panel was obtained from Tello’s medical records and sent off to a laboratory for testing, where it was revealed Tello had a blood alcohol content of 175mg/dL, which is twice the legal limit.

A warrant for Tello’s arrest was issued on February 2, 2023 and he was apprehended.

Tello would plead guilty to DUI manslaughter, where he was sentenced to incarceration, followed by probation, DUI school, and had his driver’s license revoked for life.

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