State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Marty Thomas Pennell was sentenced after entering a plea to the charges of Vehicular Homicide, Driving Under The Influence Manslaughter, Driving Under The Influence (Property Damage AND/OR Personal Injury), No Valid License – Motorcycle, and Driving on a Suspended License as a Habitual Traffic Offender. The defendant committed these crimes on July 29, 2023. The Sarasota Police Department investigated the case. Circuit Judge Andrea DeCanio sentenced the defendant to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation.
After encountering law enforcement as a pedestrian in downtown Sarasota, the defendant got on his motorcycle and left the area. He then traveled north on U.S. 41 reaching speeds exceeding of 100 miles per hour. Just after 11:00 pm, as the defendant approached the campus of Ringling College of Art and Design, he collided with another motorcycle being driven by Vincente Matom-Cobo. The collision threw both riders from their motorcycles and caused a secondary impact with the rear of a third vehicle. Both motorcyclists were wearing their helmets. Mr. Matom-Cobo suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries without regaining consciousness. The defendant was also transported to SMH and, pursuant to a search warrant, his blood was drawn approximately six hours after the crash, revealing a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.069g/100mL.
The crime was investigated by Ofc. Robert Dodge and the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit. While there were witnesses to the crash, the other drivers could describe nothing more than a speeding motorcycle crashing into another motorcycle traveling the speed limit. SPD’s investigation revealed the defendant’s actions leading to the crash, including his observed inebriation downtown and his speed as captured on local business security cameras.
The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers, commented,
“This is Mr. Pennell’s third DUI conviction. His actions demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of our community and the motoring public. By choosing to operate his motorcycle under the influence and at speeds in excess of 100 MPH, he turned his vehicle into a deadly weapon that endangered everyone in his path. The Sarasota Police Department’s thorough investigation and Judge DeCanio’s twenty-year prison sentence ensures that the community will be protected from Mr. Pennell’s dangerous choices.”
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.