2nd driver facing DUI charge in Cape Coral fiery crash

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A 19-year-old driver is facing a second-degree DUI charge after his car was struck, rolled into a ditch and went up in flames in a crash on Northeast Pine Island Road near Hancock Creek Boulevard in April, Cape Coral police said.

Francis Paulette was pulled to safety along with Michael Getts, 35, who was rescued by a man whose vehicle was hit by debris from the wreck. Chris Allyn said he “busted his butt” to rescue the two men and even tried to free a third man who was pinned in Getts’ car.

Getts is facing a vehicular homicide charge for the death of the third man, Lonnie William Retherford, 36, who died at the hospital. Getts is also facing four other charges because, according to police, his blood alcohol level was 0.209, which is nearly three times the legal limit of .08. Those four charges are:

• DUI manslaughter
• DUI Causing Personal injury
• DUI Causing Property Damage
• DUI with BAC Over 0.15

But Getts was not the only one who police accuse of driving while drunk. Paulette also had a very high BAC of 0.203 at the time of the wreck, police said.

In April, defense lawyer Lance Dunford argued that both men could be facing charges for their involvement in the crash.

“You have two people operating a motor vehicle and have actual physical control of a motor vehicle, to an extent that their normal faculties were impaired from alcohol, both have blood alcohol level over .08,” Dunford said.

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