A fugitive who fled for 14 years after a suspected fatal DUI accident in Florida has been returned to the United States to face felony charges after being recently caught in Mexico, authorities said.
The June 30, 2007 accident along Highway 27 near Avon Park, Polk County, killed husband Danny and Patricia McCown, both 59, reported FOX 13 of Tampa.
Recently, in connection with the case, Brian Dale Andrews, 43, of Frostproof, who was 29 years old at the time of the accident, was arrested. At the time, he was found to have a blood alcohol reading that was nearly four times the legal limit, Florida Highway Patrol officials told FOX 13.
After the accident, Andrews spent two days in jail and then fled after posting a $ 10,000 bond, the Tampa Bay Times reported. He had faced previous DUI charges in 2001 and 2004, according to the report.
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Andrews was captured near Mexico City by the US Marshals Service. After FHP police officer Chris Wells recently received a tip on the suspect’s whereabouts, FOX 13 reported. Wells has been tracking the case for more a decade, according to reports.
Brian Dale Andrews was 29 when he was arrested in connection with an alleged DUI accident that left two people dead, authorities say. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Andrews will face the same charges he fled from in 2007, the Times reported: two counts of DUI manslaughter, DUI property damage and two counts of driving with a suspended license involving death.
The news of Andrews’ capture brought a sense of relief to Dana McCown of Texas, one of the two daughters of the deceased couple.
“To be honest with you, it’s a bit surreal,” McCown told FOX 13. “This really took a long time to come and is not only a shutdown for our family, but also for the court system.”
She noted that the anniversary of the accident that killed her parents was only a few days away.
“He has lived this somewhat false life for 14 years, while the rest of us have had to live in reality.”
– Dana McCown, daughter of a couple killed in an accident
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“June comes every year and there is less hope that they will actually find it,” McCown recalled of the past 14 years. “He chose not to accept responsibility when he did something wrong. And then he has lived this somewhat false life for 14 years, while the rest of us have had to live in reality.
McCown said she and her sister, Michele Pennington, have missed their parents every day since the accident, FOX 13 reported.
It was unclear where Andrews was being held while he awaits further legal action, the Times reported.
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