On Wednesday, a 64‑year‑old Florida man received a 47‑year prison sentence for a high‑speed crash that claimed the lives of a married couple on a coastal highway.
Scott P. March entered a no‑contest plea to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of DUI manslaughter for killing 73‑year‑olds Thomas Lauck and Julia Ann Lauck, the Volusia County State Attorney’s Office reported. Toxicology results showed his blood‑alcohol level was 0.13%, well above Florida’s 0.08% legal limit.
“Two people are dead because the defendant chose to drive in a reckless and intoxicated state,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a statement. “Forty‑seven years in prison cannot bring them back, but it does send a clear message to drunk drivers that you will pay dearly for your criminal transgressions.”
The collision occurred at about 6 p.m. on November 1, 2025, on State Road A1A near Sandpiper Ridge Road in Ormond‑By‑The‑Sea. A pre‑trial detention motion indicated that March was traveling north behind the Laucks’ Jeep in a brand‑new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette.
Police records show March tried to pass the Jeep at 110 mph in a zone where the posted limit was 45 mph. Investigators later determined the Corvette hit 147 mph just 5.5 seconds before it rear‑ended the Jeep.
The impact flipped the Jeep, and because neither occupant wore a seat belt, both were ejected. Thomas Lauck died at the scene, while Julia Ann Lauck succumbed to her injuries days later at a nearby hospital.
Detectives wrote in the affidavit that multiple witnesses observed an extremely reckless driving pattern before the crash, including passing several cars in no‑pass zones, excessive speed, and near‑misses with other vehicles. The accident unfolded near homes, businesses and pedestrian walkways.
Court documents reveal March bought the sports car for over $200,000 on the very day of the collision. At a prior bond hearing, he testified that he made a $10,000 deposit but could not recall the exact details of the purchase.
Two days later, officers detained March again after locating him on a 120‑foot yacht called “Gale Winds.” Police said he claimed the boat was his, but the owner told investigators that March had no permission to be aboard. Authorities also noted that March carried a prior DUI conviction from California in 2018.
The Florida Highway Patrol and State Attorney investigators handled the case, and Assistant State Attorney Ashley Terwilleger led the successful prosecution for the state.
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