The driver in a fatal hit-and-run crash was sentenced to three years of probation and prosecutors said the plea deal was their best option.
Rafael Duarte was hit and killed on Lake Drive in Casselberry nearly three years ago.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Marc Manis, 61, swerved his car into Duarte.
The car's mirror knocked Duarte to the ground, killing him.
New courtroom video explains why that might have happened.
“Your honor, I think that it is apparent, even as Mr. Manis approached the podium, that he suffered from a stroke, which as a result, has caused neurological deficiencies and medical issues,” the prosecutors said in court Friday.
Manis, who did not have a criminal history prior to the crash, was facing 15 years, but on Friday, prosecutors gave him three years of probation and took his license.
“I am sorry for the state, (and) most importantly for the family of Rafael Duarte,” said Manis.
Duarte’s wife, Mary Duarte, said Manis deserves a stiffer punishment.
“I am not going to forget this, because take my 30 years of marriage and all, everything from my kids,” she said.
Prosecutors told the judge the physical evidence could help them prove Manis knew he hit something and kept going, but Manis’ medical defense would have been hard to beat.
“The tragedy of Rafael Duarte’s death would be compounded by putting Marc Manis, a man with absolutely no criminal history and with mitigation in terms of his medical history, in prison,” said the prosecutor.
Duarte’s wife is not sure what punishment she would have preferred and said she’s just trying to move on.
“Nothing is going to bring my husband back,” she said.
Cox Media Group
