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Hernando Today

Drunk Driver Goes To Prison For Killing Friend

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: September 13, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - As expected, a Bushnell man received a three-year prison sentence Friday for a crash last April that killed his friend.

Rickey Scroggins Jr., 24, pleaded no contest in circuit court a week ago to five DUI charges. In return, he was given a plea bargain that, in addition to prison, also includes two years house arrest and five years of probation.

Sentencing was delayed until this Friday so that the families of the victim, 19-year-old Andrew Cuthbertson, and Scroggins could have an opportunity to give their side of the story to a judge.

The charges stem from the early morning of April 27 when Scroggins drove across Broad Street at the Powell Road intersection and into the path of an oncoming freight truck. The impact killed Cuthbertson and seriously injured Scroggins and the two other passengers.

Circuit Judge Stephen Rushing did not vary from last week's deal, but did include a provision that the suspect write a letter of apology to Cuthbertson's family.

After court, Cuthbertson's father, Phil, said he felt it was an "extremely light plea deal."

He points to figures from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration that show 27 percent of the crashes on Florida's roads last year were a result of drunk drivers. Nationally, drunk drivers attributed to 31.7 percent of the crashes.

In Cuthbertson's opinion, plea bargains like Scroggin's lead to more DUI crashes.

He mourns the loss of his son, who was starting a career in the U.S. Army to "straighten his life out." Like his father, Cuthbertson planned to put in 20 or more years in the service.

Phil Cuthbertson does feel sorry for Scroggins' family as well because their son will be going to prison for three years.

"But my son is never going to come back," he added.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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