Slieff being held without bond on two most serious charges
The Sarasota Police Department has arrested a 31-year-old Sarasota man “in connection with a deadly crash that occurred at 9:51 p.m.” on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the intersection of Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue, the agency announced the afternoon of Oct. 24.
Joshua Slieff, of 7125 Fruitville Road, Unit 951, in Sarasota, has been charged with the following counts, the Police Department said:
- DUI Manslaughter (a felony).
- DUI with Serious Bodily Injury (a felony).
- Refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test.
As of midafternoon on Oct. 24, he was being held in the Sarasota County Jail without bond on the two felony counts and $1,000 bond on the refusal to take the blood alcohol test, the Corrections Division record showed.
His arraignment has been set for Dec. 6, the record added.
“Video evidence and witness statements indicate that Slieff was speeding when he rear-ended a Toyota sedan stopped at a red light,” the Police Department news release said.
“The passenger of the Toyota was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver remains in critical condition,” the release noted. “Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash,” the release added.
“The Sarasota Police Department’s Traffic Unit is continuing to investigate this crash,” the release pointed out. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department at 941-263-6025.
No further information can be shared at this time,” the release concluded.
Just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, when The Sarasota News Leader checked the records maintained by the Office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller, it found that the Probable Cause Affidavit for Slieff had not been provided on the docket.
The News Leader did find that, on July 13, Slieff was cited for speeding after a Sarasota County deputy clocked him driving 54 mph in a 45 mph zone. That incident occurred on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, where Slieff was heading east from Beneva Road, the citation said.
Court records indicate that he paid a total of $131 that reflected a fine and court fees to resolve that case.
The News Leader found no other charges against him in the county court records.