A jury has found a Fort Walton Beach man guilty of DUI Manslaughter and DUI Causing Serious Bodily Injury for a 2023 crash that killed one man and left another permanently disabled.
Following a two-day trial that concluded July 28, Benjamin David Raser was convicted on both charges stemming from an Aug. 22, 2023, crash at the intersection of Wright Parkway and Holmes Boulevard in Fort Walton Beach.
According to prosecutors, Raser was driving a Ford F-150 northbound on Wright Parkway at an estimated 60 to 70 mph in a posted 30 mph zone shortly before 9 p.m. Investigators said he failed to stop at a four-way stop before entering the intersection and striking the driver’s side of a four-door sedan.
The collision killed 52-year-old Demetrius Thomas, who was trapped inside his vehicle after the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner testified that Thomas died from significant blunt force trauma and internal bleeding.
Raser’s passenger, Garrett LeBlanc, survived but suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries that permanently disabled him, according to court testimony. Prosecutors said Raser was not injured.
During the investigation, officers with the Fort Walton Beach Police Department obtained a search warrant for a sample of Raser’s blood. Testing later showed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.187—more than twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Raser is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20 before Judge William Stone. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant State Attorney Leah Glisson prosecuted the case on behalf of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden. The Fort Walton Beach Police Department conducted the investigation.
