Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Antonio Cornelius Roberts, 41, of Alachua, has been sentenced to five years in state prison, followed by five years of probation, after pleading nolo contendere to leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Roberts allegedly hit a pedestrian on U.S. Hwy 441 near NW 147th Drive at about 12:24 a.m. on March 11, 2021. The pedestrian was reportedly in the roadway, and the Florida Highway Patrol press release stated that Roberts saw him too late to avoid hitting him. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Roberts allegedly drove home, called Alachua Police Department, and said he “hit something in the roadway.” Officers made contact with Roberts at his home.

Roberts’ blood was drawn and reportedly tested positive for a compound indicating the presence of marijuana in his system, but the tests determined he did not have any alcohol in his system.

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Post Miranda, Roberts reportedly said he saw something in the roadway, and after hitting it, he looked back, saw a person, and thought to himself that it was dumb for this person to be sitting in the roadway. When asked why he did not stay at the scene of the accident, he reportedly said he just wanted to get home because he had to work the next morning.

In June 2022, Florida Highway Patrol received a ruling from a pathology laboratory that said the blood test results were “consistent with the recent and chronic use of cannabis. Further, the post-incident observations of the subject are consistent with impairment.” However, Roberts was not charged with driving under the influence.

Roberts was on probation for trying to cash a fake check at the time of the accident. He successfully completed probation in August 2021, before the sworn complaint was filed in October 2022 for the March 2021 fatal accident.

Roberts entered a plea of nolo contendere on October 31 to leaving the scene of a fatal accident; the plea agreement notes that the maximum sentence for the charge is 30 years’ imprisonment. Judge James Colaw accepted the plea on November 9 and sentenced him to five years in state prison, followed by five years of probation; the charge carries a minimum mandatory sentence of four years in prison.