money FHP: Man with drugs in his system caused crash that killed woman, 75, from The Villages
A Paisley man wanted in connection with a two-vehicle crash that killed a 75-year-old Villages woman last year has been taken into custody.
Justin Jacob Cobb, 29, was booked into the county jail Saturday on charges of DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI with serious bodily injuries, and one count of DUI with property damage.
Records show Cobb's bail is set at $71,000. He has a court date scheduled for August.
About the crash
Elfriede Meyer of The Villages was driving a vehicle with two women, ages 77 and 57, as passengers. The other women, and Cobb, were injured in the crash, which occurred on County Road 42, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said.
According to troopers, on June 22, 2022, the women were in a Ford Edge that was westbound on CR 42. Meyer was the driver. A Chevrolet driven by Cobb was eastbound on CR 42 and crossed the double yellow line. The vehicles hit each other, but not head-on, near Southeast 203rd Avenue.
The two passengers had to be extricated from the Edge. The deceased died in the vehicle, officials said. Troopers said the women were returning from a beach trip at Ormond Beach when the crash happened.
FHP investigation
Traffic Homicide Investigator Mark Baker spoke with Cobb at the hospital. He said he had been driving home when Meyer veered into his lane, according to officials.
However, during their investigation, FHP officials said the evidence showed Cobb's vehicle entered the Edge's lane.
Detecting signs of impairment after the crash, troopers obtained a warrant for Cobb's medical records, and a blood sample, for testing.
The blood was sent to two laboratories for testing and analysis. One was at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The other was at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
According to FHP, the tests showed Cobb had a high concentration of methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system at the time of the crash.
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Traffic death numbers
With the results in hand, investigators met with State Attorney's Office lawyers. Reviewing the case, prosecutors decided to issue a warrant for Cobb's arrest.
State documents show Cobb is a convicted felon who served time in prison for robbery. He has been released since April 2021.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Woman's 2022 traffic death leads to Paisley man's arrest
