VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla.,None — A judge could decide the fate of a Volusia County teenage driver who is accused of vehicular homicide and reckless driving.
Investigators said Joshua Ritter was going nearly twice the speed limit before the fiery crash that killed two people last February.
The two victims were taking turns car surfing on a dirt road before the SUV flipped. The wreck killed Hunter Perez and Carlos Velazco.
One victim's mother said she's worried Ritter will get special treatment because his father is a state trooper.
Perez's mother says she wants a judge to send a message about the dangerous stunt of car surfing by sentencing Ritter to jail time instead of just probation.
"Right now, Hunter, we can't help him, but we can help the rest of the youth in this state," said Hunter's mother, Robin Parker.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said it is not uncommon in a case like this for a defendant to only serve probation.
"The state attorney's office has a responsibility to consider the defendant's age, the defendant's prior criminal history if any, and the nature of the crime," Sheaffer said.
Investigators do have video that the teens were shooting at the time of the crash, but that evidence has not been released to the public.
WFTV will be in court and will update this story as it develops.
The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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