A 78-year-old Lee County woman is behind bars after authorities say she was driving under the influence when her vehicle slammed into a tree back in June, killing two passengers and seriously injuring a third. Diana Domalavage Waller-Genotti was arrested Nov. 12 on a warrant carrying two counts of DUI manslaughter, nearly five months after the crash that claimed two lives.
According to WINK News, the Lee County Sheriff's Office says Waller-Genotti was impaired on June 20 when her car struck a tree at high speed. The crash killed two passengers in her vehicle and left another passenger with serious bodily injuries, the outlet reports.
Beyond the two DUI manslaughter counts, Waller-Genotti also faces a charge of DUI causing serious bodily injury and a charge of DUI causing property damage or injury to another person, per the same report. The station notes the charges were filed months after the June crash, following the deaths of the two passengers. As of Nov. 13, Waller-Genotti remained in custody, the outlet adds.
What Florida Law Says About DUI Manslaughter
Under Florida Statute 316.193, causing a person's death while violating the state's DUI law is generally classified as a second-degree felony, and the statute requires a mandatory minimum four-year prison term for anyone convicted of DUI manslaughter. The same law treats causing serious bodily injury while driving under the influence as a third-degree felony, while DUI-related property damage or injury to another person is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor.
Other Fatal DUI Cases Across Lee County
Waller-Genotti's arrest adds to a string of fatal DUI cases that have moved through Lee County in recent years. In 2024, 86-year-old Larry Farmer was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide after a wrong-way crash on Interstate 75 near Luckett Road, where he drove southbound in the northbound lanes and collided head-on with a Ford Bronco, according to WINK News. The 56-year-old woman driving the Bronco later died from her injuries, and both drivers were seriously hurt, the outlet reported.
Another Lee County case ended in a lengthy prison term: Andy Enrique Gonzalez pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter in a fatal 2019 Lehigh Acres crash and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, as reported by news-press.com. A separate Lee County case involved Alexquang Dang Nguyen, 45, whose charges were upgraded to DUI manslaughter after his SUV struck the rear of a sedan stopped at a red light on State Road 82 near Daniels Parkway and Gunnery Road; a 2-year-old passenger in the sedan later died, winknews.com reported.
Court records for Waller-Genotti's case had not been made available at the time of her arrest, and the identities of the two passengers who died in the June crash have not been disclosed in available reporting.
