OKEECHOBEE — After he was involved in not one but two fatal accidents in less than three weeks, Daylon Sam Youngblood, 28, of Okeechobee was charged with negligent vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter in the death of Joshua Rothermel. The charges came about after Youngblood’s pickup truck reportedly crossed the center line into the path of Mr. Rothermel‘s oncoming pickup truck on State Road 710 near Southeast 52nd Street on June 20 at approximately 5:20 p.m.
Mr. Rothermel was killed in the crash. His fiance, Apryle Roberts, was seriously injured and their 1-year-old daughter was critically injured.
A gofundme account has been set up to help the family with expenses. It can be accessed at: gf.me/u/yac67r
Youngblood was seriously injured in the accident and was taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center where he was taken into custody three days later, on June 23. He was given the opportunity to be taken directly to the Okeechobee County Jail rather than the St. Lucie County Jail, and he chose this option.
Additional charges filed in the accident on June 20 were two counts of DUI causing serious injury or impairment. His bond was set at $5,200,000. In addition, he is to consume no alcohol, no drugs and is to break no laws while out on bond.
Less than three weeks prior to this accident, Youngblood was in an eerily similar accident, and another young father was taken from his family. In that accident, 46-year-old Mitch Mitchell, his wife, Illy, and two of their children were traveling eastbound on State Road 70 near Mile Marker 117. This time, Youngblood was behind the family and attempted to pass. As he tried to pass, the Florida Highway Patrol report states, he collided with the rear side of their vehicle. Mr. Mitchell was killed in the crash, and his family was seriously injured. No charges were filed in that case, but it was considered an open investigation at the time of the second accident. A gofundme for the Mitchell family has been set up as well and can be accessed here: gf.me/u/x6u45b
In 2013, Youngblood was arrested in Glades County and charged with DUI and damage to property, reckless driving/property damage/personal injury and fleeing with disregard to safety of persons or property. The charge of reckless driving/property damage/personal injury was dropped. He was adjudicated guilty on the other two charges and was sentenced to state prison for one year and one day in each of the other charges. Time to be served concurrently. He was also on probation for two years.
The June 1 accident is still under investigation, but according to the statement of probable cause narrative written by the Florida Highway Patrol, “Daylon Sam Youngblood (D-1) was the suspected at-fault driver in a fatal traffic crash in Okeechobee County on June 1, 2020, and was suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of that crash. (D-1) also had a prior driving under the influence conviction in 2013.”
Update: On June 25, charges were filed in the June 1 accident which killed Mitch Mitchell and injured his family. Youngblood was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter and four counts DUI causing serious bodily injury.