Video shows impact of April’s deadly DUI crash in Matlacha

Reporter: Olivia Jean
Published: Updated:
Video shows impact of April's deadly DUI crash in Matlacha

WINK News has obtained new video and new documents from the State Attorney’s Office of the deadly Matlacha crash in April.

Surveillance video from inside That BBQ Place, where the deadly crash happened, shows the moment an accused drunk driver killed Mary Lou Sharp and injured 4 others back in April on Matlacha. Gasps filled the restaurant. Some people ran outside and others rushed to call 911.

Cody Curtis, a 24-year-old from Cape Coral, now faces charges of DUI manslaughter, three counts of DUI serious bodily injury, one count of DUI property damage, and one count of DUI injury.

WINK News obtained 83 pages of documents from the State Attorney’s Office detailing the events that happened from witnesses and law enforcement.

In one of the Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s testimony, they describe the moment they put Cody Curtis, the driver, inside the patrol car. When the trooper returned and opened the car door, they described they were “overwhelmed with the strong odor of alcohol” that was all of a sudden in the car.

The documents paint a picture of the aftermath of the crash: broken chairs and tables, hats, shoes, sunglasses spread throughout the road, and blood splattered.

One witness said they watched 2-3 people fly 4-5 feet in the air.

It was a messy scene that required assistance from a lot of emergency and government agencies.

According to the documents, several witnesses explained Curtis’s state of mind right after the crash.
They say he was confused and didn’t understand what he did.

Curtis blew a point .137 four and a half hours after the crash. Investigators say he was out drinking at Phuzzy’s for four hours before the crash. WINK News has reached out to the bar to see what, if any, changes have been made since the crash. We have not heard back.

WINK News has been to all of the court hearings concerning Curtis since the crash.

He pleaded not guilty in May, and since then, there hasn’t been much movement in the case. His attorney did tell WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean that Curtis will likely make a plea deal with the state.

He is back in court on October 1st. WINK News will be there.

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