JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man who pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter for a hit-and-run crash in April that killed a 19-year-old motorcyclist was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Matthew Frye, 34, has four previous DUI convictions, dating back to 2002.
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He was charged with DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash involving death in a Gate Parkway crash that killed John Leone.
Frye, a registered sex offender, must serve 11 years' probation following his jail sentence. His license will also be permanently revoked.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Leone was riding a motorcycle east on Gate Parkway about 10:40 p.m. when a car driven west by Frye turned left into the path of the motorcycle. Police said the car was turning into the Thornton Park Luxury Apartments, between Southside Boulevard and Belfort Road.
Leone was taken to UF Health Jacksonville in critical condition and died 11 days later. Frye was arrested after police said he left the scene.
The arrest was Frye's fourth traffic arrest in Florida. He has two DUI charges in Nassau County and one DUI arrest in Duval County.
Frye, who lives in St. Marys, Georgia, was arrested for rape in Tennessee in 2008. He was placed on the Tennessee sex offender registry. After reaching a plea agreement three months later, he moved back to Georgia and was placed on Georgia's sex offender registry in 2010.
Police said after the Gate Parkway accident, Frye parked the car near the apartment's clubhouse and was spotted walking in the complex by officers. Frye's girlfriend told officers Frye drank two margaritas at a bar earlier.
According to the arrest report, Frye admitted to drinking before driving to the apartment and said he told his girlfriend, who wanted to check on the motorcyclist, that she shouldn't do so "because we've been drinking."
The arrest report also said officers noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on Frye's breath, his eyes were watery and bloodshot and his speech was blurred. Frye initially refused to provide a blood sample, so officers had to obtain a search warrant to draw his blood.