Watch CBS News

'2 Drunk 2 Care' driver sentenced in fatal crash

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A Florida woman who caused a fatal car accident after tweeting "2 Drunk 2 Care" has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, reports CBS Miami.

Kayla Mendoza was drunk and driving the wrong way -- eastbound in the westbound lane of the Sawgrass Expressway in Coral Springs at between 84 and 96 miles per hour -- when she crashed into another car Nov. 16, 2103. Marisa Catronio, 21, died at the scene, and Kaitlyn Ferrante, 21, died later at a hospital.

Mendoza, 20 at the time of the accident, was later found to have had a blood alcohol level of nearly twice the legal limit. She also had marijuana in her system, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

She tweeted "2 drunk 2 care" hours before the accident, a tweet she later said was directed at her boyfriend because he was upset that she had been out drinking with co-workers. In an interview after the accident, Mendoza said she had no recollection of driving on the highway or the crash, reports CBS Miami.

She pleaded guilty in February to two counts of DUI manslaughter, according to the station.

A judge said Monday that her sentence includes "permanent license revocation" and told Mendoza that she would never drive again.

Mendoza cried as she was sentenced. She had faced a maximum of 30 years in prison.


View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.