Lake Worth Beach Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Fatal DUI Crash

The Palm Beach Post reports that a Lake Worth Beach Man is facing 13 years in state prison for his role in a DUI crash that killed a Greenacres woman in 2021,

Richard Lipinkski, 27, pleaded guilty to the charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a crash that killed a 49-year-old woman in April 2021. Lipinski also entered a plea of guilty to four counts of DUI causing property damage or injury during a hearing on January 25 at the Palm Beach County Courthouse, Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates presiding.

According to the report submitted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department, on April 3, 2021, just before 5:00 a.m. Lipinski drove his SUV through a red light at the intersection of Jog and Hypoluxo Roads at an estimated speed of 90 miles per hour. Lipinski’s vehicle collided with a Chevrolet Impala Sedan being driven by a 49-year-old woman. The force of the impact was so great the woman was ejected from her car even though she was wearing a seatbelt at the time. 

Paramedics responding to the crash declared the woman dead at the scene.

 According to the arrest report, a blood draw determined that Lipinski was driving with a blood-alcohol level three times greater than the legal limit of .08 percent. A second blood test was ordered an hour later and showed that Lipinski had a blood alcohol level of 0.250.

Investigators say that the blood tests also revealed that Lipinski had traces of cocaine, lidocaine, morphine, and THC in his system at the time of the fatal crash.

Judge Coates sentenced Lipinski to 13 years in prison for the charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide and added a year for each of the four charges of DUI property damage.

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