Joshua Roelofs, a former Florida sheriff’s deputy accused of killing two people in a high-speed DUI crash, is now a fugitive after failing to appear in court for the start of his trial.
The 38-year-old ex-deputy vanished ahead of jury selection Monday, June 16, in Tampa, where he was set to face charges stemming from a 2022 wreck on Courtney Campbell Causeway that prosecutors say left two men dead and a third seriously injured, according to Fox 13 Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay Times and Fox 35 Orlando.
Roelofs was out on a $19,000 bond when he missed a mandatory pretrial hearing in April, where he was supposed to either plead guilty to DUI manslaughter charges or ask the state for a jury trial.
His defense attorney told the court at the time that he had lost contact with his client, prompting a judge to revoke Roelofs’ bond and issue an arrest warrant.
Authorities allege Roelofs was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette traveling more than 100 mph with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit when he slammed into a car driven by Ricky Gongora, 44, killing him and his 28-year-old passenger Kris Koroly in April 2022.
A third occupant of the car survived with permanent injuries, per the outlets. According to Fox 13, he spent four months in a coma and still suffers from seizures and mobility issues.
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