Accused drunk driver going 130 in 45-mph zone kills mom and daughter, Florida cops say
A bar patron walked out with a drink in his hand, then he got in his car and hit speeds of 130 miles per hour before slamming into another car, killing a mom and daughter, Florida officials said.
Now, 33-year-old Jacob Manuel has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of DUI manslaughter in the deaths of Tallulah Ellis and her daughter, Tammy Hughes, as well as one count of DUI with serious bodily injury, the State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit announced Feb. 4.
A 9-year-old girl who was also in the car with her family members survived the crash, authorities said.
McClatchy News reached out to Manuel’s attorney for comment Feb. 5 but did not immediately receive a response.
Surveillance footage shows Manuel enter a bar in Panama City shortly before 5 p.m. May 10, 2022, and leave a little after 8 p.m. with a “glass alcoholic beverage,” Florida Highway Patrol said in an affidavit.
He got in his Dodge Challenger and started driving, and he had a suspended license at the time for a failure to appear charge, troopers said.
The event data recorder report shows Manuel was driving about 130 mph in a 45-mph speed zone right before he hit the back of the family’s Buick Enclave, according to prosecutors and state troopers.
Manuel’s Challenger rolled and hit a fence before becoming engulfed in flames, while the family’s SUV ran off the shoulder and hit a utility pole, troopers said.
A witness cut Manuel’s seat belt and pulled him out of the car, which ended up in an upright position, according to highway patrol. Three hours after the crash, tests showed Manuel had a blood alcohol content of .099 and .098, exceeding the legal limit of .08, troopers said.
The two adult women were pronounced dead at the scene, less than 40 minutes after Manuel left the bar, according to highway patrol.
Ellis was 78 and Hughes was 57, according to their obituaries. The 9-year-old girl who was hospitalized in critical condition was Hughes’ granddaughter and Ellis’ great-granddaughter.
Prosecutors said the Ellis and Hughes families approved of Manuel’s plea deal, which offered a lighter sentence than the possibility of life in prison he was facing if the case went to trial.
It nearly did, with the jury lined up outside the courtroom the day Manuel took the plea, prosecutors said.
Panama City is in the Florida Panhandle.
What to know about impaired driving
In 2020, nearly 12,000 people were killed in car crashes that involved drunk drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 30 people die each day in crashes where a driver is believed to be drunk, the CDC reported.
“Safe driving requires focus, coordination, good judgment, and quick reactions to the environment,” the CDC said. “Any alcohol or other drug use impairs the ability to drive safely.”
A person’s blood alcohol concentration can be measured, and the legal limit for driving in most states is 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter. Experts, however, say even lower levels of alcohol concentration can cause impairment.
The CDC says everyone can help prevent drunk driving with these steps:
Don’t let friends drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Don’t ride with an impaired driver.
If you’re hosting a party, remind guests to plan ahead.
Arrange alternative transportation or have a designated driver.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Accused drunk driver going 130 in 45-mph zone kills mom and daughter, Florida cops say."