NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — A Nassau County man was found guilty of DUI manslaughter in the 2018 crash that killed a family of three, the state attorney's office announced Thursday.
Shawn Blitchington was found guilty by a jury of three counts of DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and driving on a permanently revoked driver’s license, after killing a young couple and their unborn son, then driving away in July 2018.
Blitchington was driving a Ford F-250 south in a northbound lane of U.S. 301 in Bryceville when he caused a head-on crash with a Honda Civic just after 11 p.m. on July 21, 2018.
Ryan Kennedy, Bailey McKnight, and their unborn son were the occupants of the Civic and died during the crash.
Witnesses attempted to stop Blitchington from leaving the scene, according to authorities.
Deputies with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office were able to locate Blitchington nearby in the grass not far from the deadly crash after he hid for five hours.
Officers said Blitchington denied being the driver of the truck and had a strong odor of alcohol and bloodshot watery eyes.
He was transported to UF Health Jacksonville and arrested shortly after.
Blitchington was previously convicted of several driving offenses, including DUIs, and was ineligible to drive due to a permanently revoked driver’s license, the state attorney's office said.
Blitchington now faces up to life in Florida State Prison. He will be sentenced during a court hearing on July 7, 2021.
