The man accused of driving the wrong way and then fleeing the scene of a crash that killed popular TikTok personality Ali Spice and two others pleaded no contest Friday to charges that could send him to prison for life.
Thomas Petry, 55, of Orange City, was driving a pickup truck westbound in the eastbound lane on State Road 44 just east of Interstate 4 on Dec. 11, 2022, when the truck collided head-on with an Infiniti Q50, according to police.
Three passengers in the Infiniti were killed: Alexandra Dulin, 21, who was also known as Ali Spice to almost a million TikTok followers; Kyle Jacob Moser, 25, of Daytona Beach; and Ava Fellerman, 20, of Treasure Island.
Petry was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide; three counts of leaving the scene of a crash with death; leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury; and reckless driving – serious bodily injury.
Petry’s defense attorney, Richard Zaleski, said it would be an open plea to the judge, so there has been no agreement with the State Attorney’s Office on any prison time.
At a hearing last month, Assistant State Attorney Michael Willard said state sentencing guidelines called for a minimum of 444 months, or 37 years, in prison. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Petry had been drinking alcoholic beverages with Joanna Dillon, 37, of Deltona, in the hours before the crash, according to police. Dillon was a passenger in the truck with Petry. She suffered incapacitating injuries.
The driver of the Infiniti, Devin Perkins, 24, of New Smyrna Beach, was also charged in the case. Both men were set to go on trial Sept. 23.
Perkins, who police said was driving 100 mph two seconds before the crash, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving – serious bodily injury.
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Source: news-journalonline
