LORIDA, Fla. — A 45-year-old Lake Placid man was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Tuesday after causing a head-on drunk driving crash in Lorida that killed a 16-year-old girl in 2025.
Thomas Raulerson was found guilty of DUI manslaughter in Highlands County for the fatal crash that killed the 16-year-old Lake Placid victim on May 22, 2025.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Raulerson was drunk when he was driving a Ford F350 truck the westbound on U.S. Highway 98 at about 4 p.m. when he entered the eastbound lane.
The victim was driving a red Honda Civic eastbound when Raulerson hit her head-on, FHP officials said. She then swerved off the road and hit a construction barrel.
She died at the scene.
Raulerson's blood alcohol concentration was .464, over 5 times the legal limit, FHP officials said.
He also was sentenced to two years of probation for DUI property damage; had his license permanently revoked and must pay $2,492 in restitution.
Bradenton community responds after 20-year-old volleyball star dies from disease that affects 2 in a million
The 20-year-old IMG Academy volleyball star and Under Armour All-American died Sept. 16 after a three-month battle with the rare blood disorder — even though doctors had found her a 100% bone marrow match, her mother, Tanya Mack tells Tampa Bay 28 reporter Haley Zarcone.
