JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man who pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter charges after a wrong-way crash that killed a local grandfather and military veteran was sentenced Friday to over 7 years in prison.
William Uhrmann, 29, was also sentenced to 7 1/2 years of probation, had his driver's license permanently revoked, is prohibited from using alcohol and drugs, must perform eight hours of community service a month and must pay $6,080.88 in restitution to the family of 69-year-old Wallace Beale, the man Uhrmann killed.
Recommended Videos
Uhrmann's blood-alcohol level was 0.117 percent hours after the crash that killed Beale in January 2016, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Uhrmann was emotional in court Friday, speaking directly to Beale's family before receiving his sentence.
"If I could go back, I would trade places in a heartbeat," Uhrmann said. "I won't waste my second chance in life."
Uhrmann said he hasn't touched alcohol in 416 days.
After the hearing, Beale's family members said there were no winners, but they found comfort that Uhrmann sounded genuinely remorseful and was apologetic.
“I miss my Papa every day, and there's not a day that I don't think about him,” said Beale's 11-year-old grandson Dalton Galbraith.
They said it was hard for them to live through the crash again, but the hearing brought the closure they wanted.
“(I'm) a little numb, but I'm glad that it's over,” Beale's daughter, Ashley Beale Galbraith, said. “This is a day we have longed for, for over a year now.”
Uhrmann also had a large crowd of supporters at Friday's sentencing, who talked about the great life he lived and begged the judge for mercy for one terrible mistake.
“He is a good, loving, compassionate person. He has never been in trouble,” Uhrmann's mother, Wendy Uhrmann, said.
Beale's daughter said her father was coming home from work when Uhrmann went the wrong way on the highway at I-95 and I-295 in January 2016 and collided with her father's car.
Beale, a grandfather who served in the Navy in Vietnam and spent his life working with organ procurement, was taken to UF Health Hospital in Springfield after the crash. He survived for four days in the hospital, but took a turn for the worse after the second day.
After doctors said he had no chance for recovery, Beale's family took him off life support.
While the judge and the prosecutor said Uhrmann's apology on Friday was heartfelt and appeared sincere, they couldn’t forget about the life he took. Both agreed that 7 1/2 years in prison was appropriate.
“Unfortunately, it was a bad decision and it happened, but I do take comfort in knowing that he genuinely in his heart was very sorry, and I appreciate that,” Ashley Galbraith said.
Uhrmann had no criminal history before the crash and only one speeding ticket. He was taken into custody after the hearing and will be transferred from the Duval County jail to a Florida state prison.