JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The mother of the man who was killed after a deadly hit-and-run last year speaks to Action News Jax after the driver responsible was sentenced.
23-year-old Gavin Carter was killed while trying to help a driver on I-10 in May 2024. The driver fled the scene.
The man behind the car that hit Carter, 25-year-old Dante Lawrence, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for leaving the scene on Thursday afternoon.
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In August, Lawrence pleaded guilty in court to leaving the scene of a fatal crash without rendering aid.
Carter’s mother spoke about the outcome of the sentencing. “There’s no winners. He didn’t win, we aren’t winning. Nothing brings Gavin back. he’s going to prison, his parents are losing him for five years... but at least they get their kid back,” she said.
She also says it’s a relief to see the process.
“We have some closure”, she said. “Maybe he’ll feel some remorse, and maybe he’ll have time to think about the choices that he made.”
Overall, Carter’s mom hopes Gavin’s kindness lives on.
“My son stopped to help a stranger. And then a stranger left him in the road. You have a choice of the kind of person you want to be in life.”
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