Woman Who Tweeted “2 Drunk 2 Care” Before Killing Two People In Car Crash Sentenced
Tweeting and driving isn’t smart. Drinking and driving is just plain dumb. Combine drinking, tweeting AND driving, and you’re just a fucking idiot. That’s exactly what one young Florida woman did.
Kayla Mendoza was driving down the Sawgrass Expressway after drinking two fishbowl margaritas — never a good idea -— and got the bright idea to send a tweet out. Not just any tweet, though. Ms. Mendoza sent out an incredibly stupid and damning tweet.
I shit you not, she tweeted “2 Drunk 2 Care.” Only minutes later, she swerved into oncoming traffic, crashed head-on into another vehicle, and killed two innocent people.
The two people she killed, best friends Kaitlyn Ferrante and Marisa Catronio, were only 21 years old. Now, roughly a year and a half later, Mendoza, who plead guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter this past February, has been sentenced.
Though the families of the victims, as well as the prosecution, sought the maximum punishment—30 years in prison—Mendoza will be serving 24 years behind bars, followed by six years probation upon her release.
While it’s good to see that justice has been served, and Mendoza will be punished for her incredibly stupid and selfish actions, no amount of punishment will ever bring back the lives that she took away.
It takes a real asshole to get behind the wheel and put other people at risk. But to willingly drive drunk and then essentially brag about it over social media? That’s an entirely different level of stupid..
[via NBC Miami]
If you’re tweeting about being drunk, switch over to your Uber app and give up your keys to a buddy. I know alcohol makes you do stupid shit, but be safe out there guys.
10 years ago at 9:00 pmapparently eating too much wasn’t this girls only vice
10 years ago at 9:06 pmSilver lining: by the time she gets out, she won’t be able to have children.
10 years ago at 9:46 pmThis article has a real good message. Don’t put other’s lives in danger because you think you’re “a great drunk driver.”
10 years ago at 10:14 pmNot that this makes any difference, but I’d like to clear up some incorrect information TFM has spread regarding this case to make it even more horrific than it is.
I live in Coral Springs, I live less than a mile from the Sawgrass expressway. This event got more than its share of national and local coverage.
She did not tweet 2 drunk 2 care while careening down the road “minutes” before the accident. She tweeted her status a couple HOURS prior to getting into the car (around midnight) She was under aged drinking at a local bar with her colleagues from work.
At approx. 2am in the morning she entered the Sawgrass express way going northbound in the southbound lanes. This is a limited access toll road and at 2am is pretty much empty. Although it is a “toll road” there are no gates to prevent you from getting on or off the freeway. This is why she was able to travel 7 miles prior to getting in the accident.
Her BAC was .15 which is nearly twice the legal limit. She also had traces of marijuana in her system but it was not determined how much that played into the crash.
It is easy to vilify such a person. After all, they tweeted they were drunk and still got behind the wheel. What were they thinking? Guess what….They weren’t.
It’s easy to forget this was a 20 year old who was drinking publicly in a bar with co workers. It’s easy to forget those times we woke up when we were 20 after a party and wondering how the “F” we got there. Blackouts are a bwitch.
I am not justifying her behavior. She was responsible for the deaths of two young women and as a result will not see freedom for 24 years. She has lost the ability to drive for life.
But let’s remember, this person was not a “repeat” offender, nor was this person an alcoholic. This was an under-aged 20 year old who made a bad choice with horrendous results.
How many of us have made similar choices and the only difference was we didn’t kill anyone as a result?
No one goes into a bar and says to themselves, I’m going to drive home drunk. They go into a bar, get drunk and need to find a way home. Somehow we expect that person who is impaired to make a rational decision as if they were not impaired. The time for setting up a designated driver and taxi is BEFORE you get drunk, not after.
Isn’t it odd that we consider that a woman who is intoxicated is considered unable to give consent to sex, and yet, that same woman is expected to make a rational decision about getting behind the wheel. How does that work?
Again, not justifying her actions, but noting the double standard. If she sleeps with a man in her drunken state, she’s a rape victim, if she gets behind the wheel of a car, she’s a murderer.
Perhaps we need to look hard at ourselves and make sure we don’t glorify over-indulgence in alcohol. Perhaps we need to be the ones with the moral convictions to take her keys away, or refuse to serve her more alcohol, or call the cops BEFORE she gets behind the wheel.
A good many people stood by and did none of those things and let a clearly intoxicated under-aged unlicensed driver behind the wheel of a car….and when tragedy struck, washed their hands of the entire situation.
10 years ago at 10:33 pmWhat kind of poor do you have to be to not be able to afford a cab? Or even the bus? Or to pass out in a ditch like a self-respecting drunk?
10 years ago at 11:34 pmWhy is drunk driving still a problem? It’s 2015, do the world a favor and keep a taxi or Uber on your phone and fucking use them if you need a ride.
10 years ago at 6:34 amWhat a stupid bitch.
10 years ago at 12:22 pmShe needs the chair.
10 years ago at 6:00 pm