VERO BEACH — A 70-year-old woman from the Vero Beach area has been sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading no contest to DUI manslaughter in a 2021 crash that killed her passenger and close friend.
Irene Vatland Testa entered the plea last month and was adjudicated guilty Tuesday by Circuit Judge Robert Meadows in Indian River County. In addition to prison time, Testa faces 10 years of probation, a lifetime revocation of her driver’s license and mandatory DUI classes. She also must submit to random alcohol screenings and could pay fines of up to $2,000.
The crash happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. on April 15, 2021, as Testa drove a red 2011 Kia Soul out of The Antilles neighborhood near U.S. Highway 1 and 65th Street. Authorities said she failed to yield while crossing the northbound lanes, pulling into the path of an oncoming 2002 Honda CR-V. The impact spun the Kia and caused extensive damage, requiring rescuers to cut off its roof to free the occupants.
Testa’s passenger, 69-year-old Sue Marshbanks of Vero Beach, died from her injuries at a hospital. Marshbanks, who co-owned The Pipe Den tobacco shop in downtown Vero Beach with her husband, Bob, was killed the night before the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. The two women had been at a dinner gathering with friends earlier that evening.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators determined Testa’s blood alcohol content was 0.210, more than twice the state’s legal limit of 0.08. Rescue workers noted an odor of alcohol from Testa at the scene, and she sustained critical injuries requiring hospitalization. The Honda’s driver, a woman from Palm Bay, suffered minor injuries.
Testa, who was 66 at the time of the crash, was arrested nearly a year later in March 2022 on charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI causing property damage or injury. She posted $51,000 bond and was released with conditions barring her from driving or drinking alcohol.
DUI manslaughter is a second-degree felony in Florida, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of four years behind bars. Court records show Testa’s plea deal aligned with that minimum.
Indian River County officials have not said when Testa will report to prison. Attempts to reach her or her representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
Florida’s DUI manslaughter laws are primarily governed by Florida Statute 316.193, which addresses driving under the influence (DUI) offenses and their escalating penalties based on the severity of harm caused.
DUI manslaughter occurs when a person operates a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances that impair normal faculties, and by reason of that operation, causes or contributes to the death of another human being or an unborn child.
