A Gainesville man was arrested Friday morning for drunk driving and killing a pedestrian more than ten months ago, according to court records.
Kevin Burgess, a 49-year-old Gainesville resident, was charged with DUI manslaughter and driving without a valid driver’s license.
In November 2021, Burgess crashed into a pedestrian crossing Northeast Waldo Road. The victim, identified as “David” in court records, died from his injuries.
Blood tests revealed Burgess had a .035 alcohol level and THC in his system at the time of the crash, according to court records.
The Gainesville Police Department filed a sworn complaint against Burgess in March, and the Florida State Attorney filed an information, a document with the statutes violated, in August.
GPD Cpl. Joseph Castor said the delay in Burgess’ arrest was due to the extensive time frame of traffic homicide investigations and the time it took to receive Burgess’ toxicology report.
Blood tests are typically sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and it can take about six months or more to get the results back, Castor said.
Once the toxicology report comes in, the state attorney makes the decision about whether there is sufficient evidence to go further with the case, Castor said.
Burgess has been found guilty of five other crimes in the past 26 years, including the possession and sale of cocaine, the possession of a concealed weapon by a convicted felon and failure to appear on bail, according to court records.
Burgess’ arraignment is set for Oct. 11 at 9 a.m.
Contact Lily Kino at lkino@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @lily_kino.
Lily is a third-year journalism major with a concentration in environmental science covering criminal justice for The Alligator. Last semester, she served as the Santa Fe reporter. When she's not writing, you can find Lily on a nature walk, eating Domino's Pizza or spending time with her friends.
