Man sentenced to 30 years for deadly DUI crash
TAMPA (FOX 13) - Staring at dozens of years in prison, Rico Taylor tried to soften the blow on his victims' families but stopped short of apologizing.
"I just wanted to let the family know that I pray for you every night and y'all find peace in y'all hearts," Taylor said.
Taylor was convicted of a hit-and-run crash that killed Tyronda Sampson and her passenger, Michael Wimbley. Sampson's 3-year-old son, who was strapped in a child car seat, survived.
At Rico's sentencing Thursday, Wimbley's mother, Tronda Wimbley asked the judge to give Taylor the same lengthy sentence of heartbreak she's been dealt.
"If he would have been a man and owned up to it, what he did to my boy, but he went and left my boy. He didn't go see how he was doing. He just took off," said Wimbley.
Later, Wimbley's sister, Jalissa Legett told the judge Taylor stole years of memories with her brother.
"I really didn't get to enjoy my brother," said Leggett.
Taylor's mother, Debra Meus also spoke at the sentencing. She said her son was a typical teenager who grew up to be a good family man. She urged the judge for mercy.
"I ask the judge to be lenient. I do understand this is really unbearable. I do empathize with the family because they did lose someone," said Meus.
And then Taylor's little sister, Gardelia Jones did something he apparently wouldn't.
"I just want to say I deeply apologize. I don't know if I'm allowed, to the families that do lose a family member from my brother's actions, I apologize for him," said Jones.
But despite her apology, the judge sentenced Rico Taylor to 30 years in prison. The victim's families asked for that sentence.