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Tragedy leaves a message

Every time a vehicular manslaughter case was delayed, motorists passing the accident site were alerted.

By EDDY RAMIREZ
Published February 25, 2005

VALRICO - For 31/2 years, the giant memorial sign along John Moore Road was a window into one family's lingering grief and relentless pursuit of justice.

Drivers who passed by the sign became all too familiar with the August 2001 crash that killed a Valrico mother and son. Each time there was a delay in the case against the man charged in their deaths, people came to expect it to tout phrases like, No trial, no justice, no closure.

This week the message was different.

The sign now reads, The family of Jane and Britten would like to thank you for your prayers and support. Yet some in the Mark family say the outcome of the case gave them little satisfaction.

On Feb. 15, Michael Hollash pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter in the deaths of Jane Mark, 51, and her son, Britten Shores, 14.

The 28-year-old Tampa man was sentenced to two years of community control, with the first year in the Hillsborough County jail's work release program, followed by 13 years of probation.

He is expected to begin serving his sentence today.

Hollash's conviction capped three years of delays in the case, but did not satisfy Mark's family or friends, who wanted the judge to impose a stiffer sentence. Jane Mark's daughter, Brigitte, has already filed a civil lawsuit against Hollash.

"We feel totally ripped off," said Mark's sister, Lisa Leatherwood. "I would have waited three more years to see him go to trial and then to prison."

Leatherwood said she doesn't support her niece's decision to take the matter to civil court. Brigitte Mark did not return calls seeking comment.

Hollash's attorney, Richard Escobar, maintains his client's innocence. Escobar said Hollash suffered from dehydration the day of the crash, but investigators neglected to perform any tests on Hollash.

It was one of many oversights by the Sheriff's Office, Escobar said. If investigators had done a proper investigation, he added, his client would have never been charged with homicide.

"We should be appalled that citizens can go through this kind of nightmare because of shoddy police work," he said. "We certainly feel very sorry that a mother and a child died on that corner but we don't believe by any stretch of the imagination that it stemmed from criminal behavior on the part of Michael Hollash."

On Aug. 22, 2001, Hollash ran a red light on Bloomingdale at John Moore Road and crossed the center line. He hit Mark's car, killing her son instantly. Mark never regained consciousness.

Since then, Leatherwood and Jane Mark's best friend, Pam Alvarez, have dedicated themselves to getting justice, a quest they have publicized with a roadside memorial.

The women organized vigils and pleaded with county commissioners to allow the giant memorial sign to remain at the southeast corner of Bloomingdale Avenue and John Moore Road. They eventually moved the sign west of the intersection onto private property after residents complained that its message had become political.

John Fenn, who drives by the sign every day, was dismayed that Hollash did not receive a more severe punishment.

"He should have gotten the book thrown at him," Fenn said. "I am glad, though, that it's over now."

Teresa Brugger, a mother of two who lives less than a mile from where the accident occurred, said she and others identified with the plight of Mark's family because they realize that any one of them could have been killed that day. She was disappointed state prosecutors agreed to a plea bargain with Hollash.

"It wasn't fair to the family, and it wasn't fair to the community," Brugger said.

As for Alvarez, Jane Mark's friend of 22 years, the outcome of the case has left her feeling empty, she said.

"I'm not quite sure how to move on," Alvarez said. "These last 31/2 years have been torturous."

Alvarez may very well have taken her first step toward healing.

Over the weekend, she and Leatherwood posted the message expressing gratitude to the community for the prayers and support the family has received over the last three years.

They plan remove the sign for good in a couple weeks.

Eddy Ramirez can be reached at eramirez@sptimes.com or 661-2441.

[Last modified February 24, 2005, 09:34:05]