Artissua Lafaye Paulk, the former West Palm Beach bridge tender convicted of manslaughter in the 2022 death of 79-year-old Carol Wright, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for probation violation. Wright fell to her death from the Royal Park Bridge when it was raised while she was crossing, as reported by WPTV.
Paulk had originally received a plea deal in January 2023, which included eight years of probation, but this took a turn after she failed a drug test. According to WPBF, court documents indicated that she will be credited for 610 days of time served. The probation terms had been a result, of a plea deal following Paulk's guilty plea to manslaughter for not checking the bridge for pedestrians before its operation.
The tragic incident took place in February 2022, when Carol Wright was just ten feet from the end of the Royal Park Bridge. Her life was cut short as she fell through a gap that formed when the bridge unexpectedly rose.
Paulk's violation stems from testing positive for THC, the active compound found in marijuana. She admitted to using marijuana to aid with sleep at night during her probation period. Consuming marijuana was a specific violation of her probation conditions, as noted by court documents and statements obtained by media sources.
