LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — A 34-year-old Lake Worth Beach man on Tuesday was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter of a motorcyclist in 2021 in Lake Worth Beach.
Sebastian Pascual Ramirez originally faced one count of vehicular homicide in the death of Damian Martinez, 48, of Palm Beach Shore on Oct. 15, 2021.
Ramirez also pleaded guilty to driving without a license causing death with a four-year sentence to be served concurrently. The DUI manslaughter sentence was seven years.
His driver's license was permanently revoked.
The hearing took place before Circuit Court judge Sarah Willis in West Palm Beach.
The crash was reported at 9 p.m. at the intersection of 10th Avenue North and North H Street, about 1 mile northeast of Lake Worth High School.
Ramirez drove his southbound 2010 Dodge minivan into the intersection after stopping at a traffic sign. He then crossed into the path of Martinez's eastbound 2006 Yamaha KZ motorcycle, according to the crash report.
The Yamaha struck the front passenger-side corner of the Dodge, and the force threw Martinez to the pavement. The Dodge veered onto a sidewalk curb and hit the west wall of a home.
Martinez was pronounced deceased at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
Ramirez was taken to JFK Medical Center in Atlantis with minor injuries.
Multiple opened beer cans were found inside the vehicle and the suspect smelled of alcohol at the scene and hospital, according to the arrest report.