Impaired driver sentenced to 9 years for fatally striking man changing tire on I-95

The fatal crash of a man changing a tire on Interstate 95 in 2023 resulted in a sentence of nine years in prison and then two years' probation for the impaired driver. On Friday, Michael Miller, 56, of West Palm Beach, pleaded guilty to one count of DUI manslaughter and two counts of driving under the influence causing injury.Miller was ordered to serve a mandatory minimum of four years behind bars. Circuit Judge Howard Coates granted Miller's motion for a downward departure, allowing a sentence below standard guidelines.Miller had been released from the Palm Beach County Jail on Aug. 9, 2024, after his arrest on July 30, 2024.The crash occurred on Oct. 10, 2023, at approximately 5:30 a.m. Miller was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro on southbound I-95 at the Linton Boulevard overpass.A gray 2016 Ford F-150 was on the southbound outside paved shoulder as two occupants were changing a tire: Adrian Camaraza Montes, 44, of Palm Springs, and his father, Mario Elsebio Pena, 60, according to Florida Highway Patrol.A 2006 gray Chevrolet Blazer was also disabled south of the Ford due to an unknown mechanical issue and was parked.Miller, the sole occupant of the Camaro, failed to maintain his position within the outside travel lane and veered to the right and entered the outside paved shoulder, according to the crash report.Adrian Camaraza Montes, 44, was propelled in a southerly direction, where he came to a final rest upon the outside paved shoulder. After the collision with Montes, Miller failed to stop the vehicle immediately at or close to the crash scene, FHP said. He continued driving in a southerly direction along the outside paved shoulder, where his right side collided with the outside guardrail face. The front right side of the Chevrolet collided with the rear left side of the Blazer, according to FHP.Montes was pronounced deceased at the traffic crash scene. Pena's injuries were non-incapacitating.A trooper said he observed signs of impairment of Miller and the smell of an unknown alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. Miller injured his left leg due to this traffic crash and was taken to Delray Medical Center.At the hospital, he told an investigator he consumed cocaine and marijuana the night before, around 11 p.m., along with seven alcoholic beverages, and had slept five hours before he started to drive.Blood tests showed he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a chemical substance. His blood alcohol concentration was .147, above the 0.08 legal level for someone 21 and older.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.