Padowitz convicted in crash that killed Sopchoppy man

A local woman was convicted of DUI last week in a 2012 drunk driving crash that killed a Sopchoppy man.

Rebecca Ann Padowitz was convicted of DUI manslaughter.

She was driving a jeep in April 2012 when she lost control of the vehicle on Highway 98 about a mile west of Lake Morality Road.

The vehicle went into a spin and went onto the north shoulder of the road where it hit a tree stump with its front bumper.

The jeep then hit a tree and came to rest on its roof before catching on fire.

There were 4 people in the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the time of the accident.

28 year old Rona Lavon Hawkins Jr. was thrown from the front passenger set and killed.

He was the son of Former Sopchoppy mayor Colleen Skipper Mitchell.

The jury found Padowitz had a blood alcohol level higher than .15 at the time of the crash.

Padowitz will be sentenced April 14th.

She faces up to 15 years in prison.

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