Plea agreement in crash that killed deputy
The 80-year-old driver who was involved in a crash that killed an Orange County sheriff ’s deputy last year will have to pay a $1,000 fine as part of a plea agreement his lawyers made Tuesday.
Billie Jarrard’s license also will be suspended for six months after his lawyers entered a plea of no contest on his behalf at the Orange County Courthouse. He was originally cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn.
On Jan. 9, 2017, Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, 35, was helping search for a man accused of killing an Orlando police officer earlier that morning. He was traveling south on Pine Hills Road when his motorcycle collided with Jarrard’s van at Balboa Drive.
Lewis, an 11-year veteran of the Sheriff ’s Office, died at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Jarrard, of Clermont, originally pleaded not guilty to the infraction, which carried a $164 fine.
Several of Lewis’s former colleagues from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and friends from the Florida Highway Patrol crowded the courtroom as the terms of the plea agreement were read Tuesday. Lewis’ mother, Norma, also attended. Jarrard was not in court.
After the hearing, Norma Lewis said that she would have liked to hear an apology from Jarrard. “The gentleman didn’t even have the courtesy to appear — didn’t even say he was sorry for the life that he took,” she said.
Jarrard did not respond to a call seeking comment Tuesday.
Norma Lewis also said the consequences of causing fatal crashes should be more severe. She said she’s willing to advocate for a change in the law.
“There are some things that will be changed. If that means me going to Tallahassee to fix it, I will,” she said. “From my heart, being here in this courtroom, there’s a lot more that needs to be done. And I’m ready to do what I need to do.”