ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — An Orange County man is facing a minimum of nine years in prison after he was convicted of hitting and killing a teenager while he was street racing.
The family of 15-year-old Luis Rivera Ortega broke down in tears when jurors found 25-year-old Robert Roedell guilty of vehicular homicide Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Roedell lost control of his Dodge Neon when he was racing another car in January of 2008 and hit Ortega.
Roedell's attorneys argued there was no race and their client was trying to avoid another car that drove into his path.
In fact, a witness for the defense told a jury the Jan. 1, 2008 accident wasn't even Roedell's fault.
"I observed a car pull in Robert's lane and stop, at that point I thought there would be an accident. Instead he swerved left," Doug Demaintenon said.
Demaintenon was driving the Chevy Camaro some witnesses described as speeding down Forsyth right with Roedell's Dodge Neon. Demaintenon told jurors he was driving behind Roedell, who was helping him get the Camaro to his shop.
Demaintenon has known the defendant a decade, something pointed out by the assistant state attorney.
The defense's final witness was an accident reconstruction expert, who put Roedell's speed on Forsyth somewhere between 52 and 62 miles per hour. That's under Florida Highway Patrol's estimate, but still above the posted 35 mile per hour speed limit.
The defense expert also stated the most likely cause of the accident that killed Ortega was Roedell swerving to avoid another driver. And the defense said that doesn't amount to reckless driving and by association, vehicular homicide.
But the jury disagreed, and Ortega's family said they're glad justice was served.
“He was a happy boy. He got justice. He got what he wanted,” said Ortega’s mother Elisa Ortega.
Roedell is in the Orange County Jail and will be sentenced April 13.
WFTV
