Boca Raton Personal Injury Lawyers Blog | Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A.

Sun-Sentinel VERO BEACH - A 26-year-old woman who was speeding and weaving out of traffic on Interstate 95 is guilty of vehicular homicide of two motorcyclists she hit along the roadway. A jury deliberated for a hour Wednesday afternoon before finding Dominique Brice, of Miami, guilty of killing the motorcyclists parked along the northbound lanes on Feb. 29, 2008, near the juncture of Indian River and St. Lucie counties. Sentencing is Nov. 25. She could face up to 30 years in jail.

Killed in the mid-day accident were off-duty North Miami police officer Fritz Doucet, 37, and West Palm Beach computer technician Raul Ortiz. They were recently reunited high school buddies going to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, said Ortiz's sister, Carmen Sanchez, of New Jersey. "How can you call yourself a human being?" Sanchez told Brice shortly after the verdict was announced in the courtroom. Circuit Judge Robert Pegg allowed Sanchez to testify because she is from New Jersey and can't come back for the sentencing. Sanchez finally broke into sobs as Brice looked at the ceiling or at her relatives in the audience. Finally Brice was led out of the courtroom to be held in the Indian River County Jail.

Brice's mother, Angie Dixon, left the courtroom before the verdict because Pegg said he wouldn't tolerate outbursts. Brice's brother also declined comment. He was riding with her at the time of accident. Also in the car were her two young children who Dixon is now caring for. "You still have your children and brother," said Sanchez, who described Dixon as being unremorseful.

Doucet is survived by two sons, Fritz, 9, and Manny. 5, and his girlfriend Abigail Mena, of Broward County. Manny has only been told "his father is in heaven," said Doucet's sister Diana Doucet. "He asked if he could go too. When he asked why he (his father) had to go to heaven, I told him God needed him." Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman told jurors Brice was speeding at more than 80 mph, quickly changing lanes and cutting off cars like in a NASCAR race.

According to a witness, Ortiz and Doucet appeared to have been studying a map and only looked up at the last moment as Brice's Saturn slammed into them. The two men's bodies were knocked into bushes off the highway and their motorcycles were broken into pieces, reports show. Autopsies by the Medical Examiner's Office found that both men's spines were snapped in half and they had severe internal injuries. Brice contends another car forced her vehicle out of control. Her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Adrienne Bucci, said her client was just changing lanes. Former Indian River State College student Jessica More was on the highway and called 911 to report a reckless driver. While on the phone, she said, "Oh my God," as Brice's car swerved and slammed the motorcyclists. More testified in the trial as did an out-of-state couple who witnessed the accident.

"I satisfied with the verdict," said Doucet's brother, Daniel Doucet, of New York. "It is only fair."
At the law firm of Ellis, Ged & Bodden, PA, we can help you explore your legal options. We offer free consultations, and can meet with you at home, at work or even in your hospital room. We’ll listen to your concerns and tell you how we can help. You need to have a team on your side, to protect your interests. If a loved one has been killed in an accident, or if you have been injured as a result of someone’s negligence, please contact our wrongful death lawyers today.