Danny Federico
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
A Lake City resident was arrested on Monday, July 24, on charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence (DUI) for a fatal accident in Hamilton County in late December 2021.
According to the report filed with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), 28-year-old John Michael Amaro Santiago and an unnamed female passenger were traveling southbound on County Road 135, north of White Springs, at approximately 12:35 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2021. Santiago failed to negotiate a right curve in the roadway and crossed into the northbound travel lane. He then overcorrected the vehicle, causing it to travel onto the west grass shoulder, where it traveled 132.9 feet before striking a ditch embankment. The car then began to rotate clockwise, traveling a short distance before its right side collided with a tree. FHP determined the vehicle was traveling approximately 71 miles per hour when it left the roadway.
Santiago was entrapped within the driver's side due to a steering wheel deformity and sustained incapacitating injuries. He was transported to UF Health in Gainesville for treatment. The passenger, a 28-year-old female, was found deceased at the scene.
During a subsequent search of law enforcement databases, it was discovered Santiago had an invalid driver's license. Furthermore, when Corporal Aaron Brannon and Officer Kari Hilliard visited Santiago's home to notify his mother of his injuries, she stated he was previously at the residence drinking alcohol. She also told officers she believed his normal faculties were impaired and noted he appeared upset after receiving a phone call from the victim. Santiago's mother advised he left their home around midnight to pick the victim up from a friend's house despite her asking him to stay home and not drive. She further advised the vehicle was not registered and did not have insurance, and that Santiago was on supervised felony probation and did not have a valid driver's license.
On Jan. 11, 2022, FHP executed a search warrant at UF Health, during which eight vials of blood and other fluids drawn from Santiago on Dec. 29 were taken into possession, along with one PDF document containing 558 pages of his medical records. Later, on Jan. 31, 2022, a laboratory report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tallahassee indicated Santiago had a positive blood alcohol level of 0.132g/100mL. The results were also positive for 11-Nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary secondary metabolite of THC which is formed in the body after cannabis is consumed; Delta-9-THC, which is the primary psychoactive ingredient of cannabis that causes users to feel high; and Midazolam, a benzodiazepine drug prescribed to treat anxiety, panic disorders, seizures and muscle spasms.
Following the extensive investigation, Santiago was arrested on Monday, July 24, for vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter, knowingly driving with a suspended license and failure to register a motor vehicle.