An Alabama woman has been convicted in a DUI crash that killed her 8-year-old son, and seriously injured two of her other children.
The wreck happened on March 1, 2021, in Okaloosa County, Florida.
A Florida jury on Friday Connie Brown-Menzies of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI causing property damage and injury, felony DUI and two counts of DUI causing serious body injury, according to a Monday statement from State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
The conviction is Brown-Menzies’ third DUI conviction, Madden said.
Brown-Menzies and her four children – ages 8, 7, 5 and 2 – were traveling from Evergreen to Niceville when the fatal crash happened.
Witnesses stated, and Florida Highway Patrol confirmed through conducting crash reconstruction, that Brown-Menzies was traveling southbound on Highway 4 through Baker when she veered into oncoming traffic and hit a northbound vehicle head-on.
Witnesses also testified that Brown-Menzies had been driving aggressively and erratically for approximately 10 miles prior to the collision, according to the news release.
Brown-Menzies’ 8-year-old son – Ondric Brown-Menzies – was killed. He was in the second grade at Evergreen Elementary School. “He loved all sports, spending time with his classmates and siblings,’’ according to Ondric’s obituary.
Two of Ondric’s siblings, ages 7 and 5, were seriously injured.
