Estates man accepts plea deal for DUI charges

A Golden Gate Estates man who told deputies he was on his way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when he got into a drunken driving crash that injured five people agreed Monday to serve three months in jail.

Travis S. Sutterfield, 32, pleaded no contest to leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, a felony, and driving under the influence, a misdemeanor. Eleven other DUI charges stemming from the crash were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Sutterfield agreed to a 90-day jail sentence, of which he already served half before he was released on $15,000 bond. He'll serve the remaining time on weekend lockdown. And he was sentenced to three years of probation.

Prosecutor Neil Snyder said Sutterfield was charged with multiple counts because of the way DUI is charged. Each charge of DUI with property damage resulted from the damaged vehicles. Each charge of DUI with personal injury resulted from the people who were hurt. And when the owner of a vehicle was someone other than the driver involved in the crash, he is counted as a separate DUI victim on his own.

Snyder said Sutterfield had faced up to 16 years and nine months imprisonment under state sentencing guidelines. He faced DUI as a second offense because he had a prior DUI conviction in Oklahoma in 1999.

Sutterfield's blood-alcohol level after the crash was more than twice the level at which a driver in Florida is considered drunk, according to court records.

Sutterfield

At 4:25 p.m. March 9 Sutterfield drove erratically on Pine Ridge Road near Goodlette-Frank Road. He "was driving recklessly and lost control, striking four other vehicles and sending one across the median into oncoming traffic. That action caused a sixth car to become involved," according to the arrest report.

Sutterfield, 14896 Pleasant Bay Lane, No. 6104, walked away from the area afterward. But he left his car, so deputies traced it to him. And some of the other drivers could describe him as the suspect in the hit and run.

The investigating deputy, Chanyne Cunningham, interviewed several of the victims who were taken to North Collier Hospital for treatment. As Cunningham headed to Naples Community Hospital to interview the other victims taken there, the deputy saw Sutterfield walking down Goodlette-Frank Road. He was dressed as the other drivers in the crash had described him and walked with a limp.

He failed some initial tests to determine whether he was impaired, according to the arrest report. At the jail he took breath tests that read 0.19 percent. The level at which a driver is considered drunk in Florida is 0.08 percent.

"Sutterfield said, 'Ironically I was going to my AA meeting at the 24-hour Club'," according to the arrest report.

All the vehicles involved in the crash were damaged. Five people, besides Sutterfield, were injured, including one who suffered "possible permanent disfigurement," according to the arrest report.

In court, Sutterfield told Collier Circuit Judge Cynthia Ellis that he had asked his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Valerie Maurer, whether any of the victims would be present for the plea. Maurer said no. But Snyder said all the victims had agreed to the sentence.

Sutterfield seemed humble as he addressed the judge.

"I just want to apologize to the court for taking up your time," Sutterfield said.

Snyder asked the court to reserve judgment on the amount of restitution owed to each victim. Also, Sutterfield's license will be suspended for a year, he'll have to pay about $500 in court costs and he must stay away from alcohol during the three years he's on probation.