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Drunk Driver Gets 8.5 Years for Golf Cart Crash
14 Jul
Summary
- Man sentenced to 8.5 years for DUI crash that injured two teen girls.
- Victims suffered life-threatening injuries, including fractures and internal damage.
- Driver had a blood alcohol content between 0.148 and 0.151.
A 62-year-old man, Richard Stanley Barker, has received an 8.5-year prison sentence for a 2025 drunken driving incident that severely injured two teenage girls. The collision took place on February 4, 2025, when Barker crossed the center line on Wahoo Road in Panama City Beach and crashed his pickup truck into a golf cart carrying the victims.
At the time of the crash, the girls were 15 and 16 years old. Both suffered life-threatening injuries, including severe fractures and internal damage. Barker's blood alcohol content was measured between 0.148 and 0.151. He pleaded no contest to two DUI charges causing serious bodily injury and was acquitted of leaving the scene.
During the sentencing, the court heard impact statements from the victims' families. One victim, now 17, experiences PTSD and constant pain, stating her scars are permanent reminders of the event. The other victim, also 17, expressed her struggle with pain and the trauma of lying in the street. Barker expressed deep remorse for his actions. A GoFundMe has raised $29,670 for medical expenses.
