A North Port driver who slammed into an Uber on New Year’s Eve 2019 has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison, closing a courtroom chapter that the victim’s family had to relive nearly five years after the crash. Mark Barcia, 47, was found guilty earlier this year of DUI manslaughter and several other DUI-related charges following a jury trial in Sarasota County, a case that again put the region’s impaired driving problem under the spotlight.
Judge hands down combined term
Circuit Judge Charles E. Roberts stacked Barcia’s prison time, imposing 15 years for DUI manslaughter and another three years for DUI with injury, along with roughly $7,000 in fines and probation to follow his release, according to YourSun. Court records list Assistant State Attorneys William Stuart Greiner and Brian Scott Chambers as the prosecutors on the case, and note that the defense stipulated to the validity of Barcia’s blood-alcohol test results from the night of the wreck.
Guilty verdict followed April trial
Barcia’s conviction came in April after a trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse, where jurors found him guilty of DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury, and related DUI offenses, according to WWSB. Prosecutors argued that the evidence they presented at trial clearly supported each of the counts the jury ultimately returned.
New Year’s Eve crash left one dead
The deadly crash happened on Dec. 31, 2019, around 6 p.m., when a pickup truck hit a Toyota Camry that was being used as an Uber at the intersection of Toledo Blade Boulevard and Woodhaven Drive. Passenger David Flick, 61, of Port Charlotte, died at the scene, while the Uber driver and another passenger were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, according to FOX 13. Authorities say Barcia was behind the wheel of the pickup that crashed into the Camry.
Police say signs of impairment were evident
Police reports and witness testimony introduced at trial indicated that officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on Barcia, along with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech when they encountered him at the scene. He later failed field sobriety tests while undergoing treatment at a hospital, according to WWSB. Prosecutors pointed to those observations, together with lab results, as key support for the DUI-related charges.
How the sentence fits Florida law
Under Florida law, DUI manslaughter is typically a second-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, with additional DUI-with-injury counts punishable separately. Judges are allowed to stack sentences on multiple counts, which can significantly increase the total prison term, according to Florida Statutes §316.193. Sentencing in cases like Barcia’s reflects both the severity of the harm and the number of separate convictions.
Barcia will serve his time in state prison before transitioning to the post-release supervision ordered by the court. “They were trying to do the right thing, getting a ride not drinking and driving,” a police spokesman said shortly after the crash, as reported by FOX 13.
