LAKELAND, Fla. – On Tuesday, December 22, 2020, Traffic Homicide detectives arrested 31-year-old Justin Mathis of Highland City for DUI Manslaughter (F2) and DUI with Property Damage (M1). Mathis was the at-fault driver of a two-vehicle crash that occurred on November 20, 2020, which killed his passengers, 34-year-old Christopher Lofton and 38-year-old David Weldon, both from Lakeland.
A search warrant was obtained for a blood collected from Mathis at the time of his admission to the hospital. The blood was sent to FDLE for analysis, and the results came back with an alcohol level of 0.25 g/100ml of blood. This is 3 times the legal limit.
“There is no excuse to get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you’ve been drinking. With the advent of ride-sharing apps, there are a variety of alternate transportation options out there. Please, don’t drink and drive – just like in this instance, it can be fatal.” –Grady Judd, Sheriff