A Volusia County man was sentenced to 47 years in prison for a drunken, high-speed crash on State Road A1A that killed a husband and wife last fall; the term includes credit for approximately one year already served. Scott March, 64, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of DUI manslaughter in the deaths of Thomas and Julia Lauck.
The sentence, handed down Oct. 7, stems from a crash on Nov. 1, 2025, on State Road A1A in Volusia County, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Prosecutors said March reached 147 mph just seconds before the crash and was traveling around 110 mph when he struck the Laucks' vehicle while trying to pass in a no-passing zone.
The Florida Highway Patrol previously said March hit that 147 mph speed 5.5 seconds before impact, in a stretch where the posted limit was just 45 mph, according to a separate FOX 35 Orlando report. The crash happened around 6 p.m.
A Deadly Six Days
Thomas Lauck died at the scene of the crash. His wife, Julia, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died five days later, on Nov. 6, from her injuries, the station reported.
A toxicology report estimated March's blood alcohol level at 0.13% at the time of the crash, well above Florida's legal limit of 0.08%, per the outlet's reporting. Under Florida law, a DUI manslaughter conviction carries a mandatory minimum prison term of four years and is generally classified as a second-degree felony, though certain circumstances can elevate it to a first-degree felony, according to Florida Statutes, Section 316.193.
An Open Plea, a Judge's Call
March's case moved forward on what's known as an open plea, meaning he admitted guilt without a negotiated sentence, leaving the final decision entirely up to the judge. As the station's report put it, the arrangement gave the judge the ability to impose the sentence he saw fit.
Judge Christian Miller ultimately declined to go below the sentencing minimum called for in the case, settling on 47 years. That term includes credit for the roughly one year March has already spent in custody since his arrest.
