FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida woman was sentenced Monday to 16 years and four months in state prison for a DUI crash that killed a Fort Lauderdale police detective in 2016.
Joselyn Lopez, 34, will serve 10 years of probation upon her release.
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Lopez was convicted of vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and DUI causing serious bodily injury.
According to her arrest report, Lopez crashed her 2010 Dodge Challenger into Detective Christopher Sheehan’s 1995 Jeep Wrangler on Aug. 20, 2016, in the area of 4600 N. State Road 7 in Coral Springs.
The front of the Challenger ignited from the impact before coming to final rest, authorities said.
Sheehan, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, died at the scene, police said. He was a seven-year veteran of the department.
His passenger, Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Capt. Jacob Snowhite, was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Lopez, of Margate, was not injured.
According to the arrest report, Lopez showed signs of impairment after the crash, including slurred speech and the odor of an alcoholic beverage was emitting from her breath.
Her blood-alcohol level more than two hours after the crash was .08 percent, which is Florida’s legal limit, the report stated.
Police said it was determined that Lopez was driving 75 mph when she crashed her car into the Wrangler.