Driver Receives Prison Time for Death of Pregnant Woman in Ormond Beach

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 29, 2022

According to court documents that were recently released to the public, a 25-year-old man will serve up to a decade in prison after he was found guilty of multiple charges related to a tragic pedestrian accident that claimed the life of a blind pregnant woman almost 3 years ago in Ormond Beach.

It was shortly after 3:30 p.m. on May 27, 2019, when Kayla Starr Mungai and Nicholas Mungai, who were 27-years-old and 30-years-old at the time of the auto accident, entered into a marked crosswalk at the intersection of West State Road 40 and Seminole Drive in Ormond Beach. As the couple walked across the street, 25-year-old Justin Egatz approached the area in an SUV and crashed into the husband and wife. Nicholas Mungai sustained severe injuries during the collision and has been on the road to recovery ever since. Sadly, Kayla Starr Mungai and her unborn child suffered life-threatening injuries during the incident and they both passed away after the accident occurred.

Field sobriety and drug tests retrieved by local authorities from the 25-year-old driver indicated that he was operating his vehicle under the influence of cannabis as well as clonazepam, a prescription drug that is commonly used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and seizures.

In addition to the 10 years in a federal penitentiary for one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, one count of reckless driving causing property damage, and two counts of vehicular homicide, Justin Egatz will remain on probation for 15 years after his release. He will have to pay restitution to the surviving spouse, work 100 hours of community service, and is barred from consuming any alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs. His plea agreement stated that Egatz will also be subject to random drug testing and will lose his driver’s license for 3 years while on probation.

“The defendant’s reckless actions on the day of the accident needlessly took two lives and caused a lot of pain for the survivors, their families, and friends. I am hopeful this successful conviction and resolution will ease some of the pain of all of those that were hurt that day,” said Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey in a press release.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.