Unlicensed and unsafe drivers on local roadways is a problem that can have deadly consequences.
"When it's your flesh and blood, it's tough,” Jack Leone said.
Leone’s 19-year-old son John was a University of North Florida student who loved spending time in the ocean and had dreams of becoming a CPA like his dad.
But John’s life was cut short last April.
He was riding a friend’s motorcycle on Gate Parkway just after 10 p.m. on a Thursday night when he was hit by Matthew Frye.
"There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of John,” Leone said. “Not one day and there won't be."
Frye was a drunk driver with four previous DUIs and his license had been suspended.
"My first instinct was I wanted to just go track him down and kill him,” Leone said.
Frye pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a crash and DUI manslaughter.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and his license was permanently revoked.
Trending on ActionNewsJax.com:
- Wedding guest gets email from bride with 'gift adjustment' request
- Analysis reveals rat DNA in hamburger sold at grocery stores and fast-food chains
- Documents: Accused killer took shotguns from arresting deputy's cruiser while handcuffed
- Woman tried to flush newborn down hospital toilet, left baby in trash, police say
- 3-year-old boy drinks from bottle of Dr Pepper, finds rat inside
"What we find is usually our most hazardous drivers are the ones with suspended privileges,” Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan said.
According to records with FHP, there are almost 108,000 drivers with a suspended license in Duval County alone and more than 2 million in Florida.
Action News Jax collected data from the State Attorney’s Office and found since 2014, there have been more than 21,000 charges filed against drivers for suspended, revoked, fraudulent or non-existent drivers’ licenses in our area.
Last year, four cases involved serious injury or death.
John Dunn has been a truck driver for 10 years and said he was stunned by the number of potentially dangerous drivers.
"Each and every day, I set out to make it back home safely to my family by trying to do the right thing, and knowing that there's that many people that's on the road like that is a scary thought,” Dunn said.
The challenge is keeping track of these drivers.
Bryan said FHP conducts selective enforcement campaigns throughout the year to identify dangerous drivers and get them off the roads.
"If I can, I'll take the common-sense approach, you know, we have to be defensive drivers on our own,” Bryan said.
But Leone said drivers like Frye are to blame, people who put lives in danger every time they make the decision to get behind the wheel.
"This didn't have to happen and probably shouldn't have happened,” Leone said.
Cox Media Group
