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Judge rejects driver's plea on fatal DUI charge
By MATTHEW WAITE, Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Anthony Sagona, accused of driving drunk and killing a 21-year-old pedestrian as the man crossed U.S. 19 last year, apologized Monday morning while his attorney tried to get him a lighter sentence. "From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry," Sagona said, reading from a letter he intended to send to the family of Robert Gaddis shortly after the accident but was told not to by his attorney, Curtis Crider. Sagona was ready to plead Monday to charges of driving under the influence with manslaughter if Circuit Judge Lowell Bray was willing to depart from sentencing guidelines that would have sent him to prison. But after tearful pleadings from Gaddis' family, Bray said no. A trial on the charge is set for March. Since the accident that killed Gaddis in 2001, his parents both told Bray that they haven't slept much. They're being treated for depression, and the nightmares have only started to let up. James Gaddis and Pam Morris both asked Bray to reject a plea deal. "Let it go to trial," James Gaddis said. "That's all I ask." Gaddis was struck crossing U.S. 19 near Sharky's Sports Grill, 7041 U.S. 19 at 1:55 a.m. Nov. 2, 2001. New Port Richey police arrested Sagona, and blood tests showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.130 and 0.128. Florida law assumes impairment at 0.08. Gaddis' head hit the windshield and he was carried about 140 feet down the highway, New Port Richey police said. Sagona stopped about 140 feet after that. Crider told Bray on Monday that Gaddis ran out into the road and was intoxicated himself. Blood tests on Gaddis showed his blood alcohol level to be 0.200. And, with the street lights out near the accident, it was unclear if Sagona could have avoided the accident no matter the circumstances, Crider said. Sagona, a retired police officer from New York, had never been in trouble before, Crider told Bray, and the accident was a "tragedy" and "an isolated incident." "My client wasn't violating any law other than he had too much to drink that night," he said. Gaddis' family pleaded with Bray for a trial. Morris said the pain of losing her son was "ever present, all encompassing and excruciating. "Robert was not Mr. Sagona's only victim that night," she said. -- Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com .
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