A Florida man who caused the deaths of two women in a high-speed crash while under the influence of alcohol has been sentenced to decades in prison. Jacob Manuel, 25, took a plea deal and received a 40-year sentence at the Florida Department of Corrections. The tragic crash occurred in 2022 and claimed the lives of 78-year-old Tallullah Ellis and her 57-year-old daughter, Tammy Hughes.
Ellis had been driving with Hughes and a 9-year-old great-granddaughter when Manuel, speeding between 100 and 130 mph in a 45 mph zone, slammed into their vehicle from behind. The impact forced their car into a power pole, instantly killing Ellis and Hughes. The child in the vehicle suffered critical injuries but survived. Manuel’s Dodge Challenger caught fire, and an eyewitness pulled him from the wreckage.
Investigations into the incident revealed that Manuel had been drinking at a bar in Panama City earlier that evening. Surveillance footage captured him leaving the establishment carrying an alcoholic beverage. His blood alcohol level, tested hours after the crash, was recorded at 0.099 and 0.098, above the legal limit of 0.08 in Florida.
Authorities charged Manuel with two counts of DUI manslaughter and one count of DUI with serious bodily injury. His case was set for trial before he chose to accept the plea deal, which prevented him from facing a potential life sentence. The sentencing hearing was an emotional affair, with the victims’ family present in the courtroom.
During the proceedings, a letter from the victims’ family was read aloud, expressing the immense grief and devastation they had experienced since the crash. The letter, read by Florida State Attorney Larry Basford, described the pain of breaking the tragic news to the victims’ loved ones, including Ellis’s husband, who had been married to her for 59 years.
The family detailed how the loss of Ellis and Hughes had created an unbearable void in their lives. They spoke about the heartbreaking moment of entering their grandfather’s home and finding him praying after learning that his wife and only daughter would never return. They also described the sorrow of young children grieving for their grandmother and great-grandmother, struggling to understand their absence.
The plea deal required Manuel to serve at least 85% of his 40-year sentence before being eligible for parole. He was credited with 655 days of time already served.
This tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of reckless and impaired driving. The victims’ family hopes that Manuel’s sentencing will serve as a cautionary tale, preventing similar tragedies in the future.
