POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Troopers arrested a man in Polk County for a fatal hit-and-run from 2011.
On March 23, 2011, Bartley Joseph Jude Gorman was traveling in a pick-up truck on Alligator Alley when he hit the back of a Toyota 4-runner, causing the driver to lose control and veer off the road into a canal, the Florida Highway Patrol says.
The driver and passenger survived the initial crash, but the passenger, Yvon Pierre, was unable to swim and drowned.
Gorman reportedly fled the scene and was found lying in the grass by a Sheriff's Office helicopter.
Investigators concluded his blood alcohol level was .18, more than twice the legal limit to drive. A warrant was issued for DUI Manslaughter, Leaving the Scene of a Crash, Vehicular Homicide and DUI Property Damage.
However, Gorman fled the South Florida area and has been on the run since 2011. He was known to use fraudulent driver's licenses in an effort to mask his identity.
On Thursday at 11 a.m., after surveillance throughout Polk County, FHP Troopers found and arrested him at the Hammock Lake RV Park in Fort Meade.
He was charged with DUI Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, DUI Property Damage, Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Death, and Possession of Fraudulent Identification. Troopers also arrested a female acquaintance with him named Catherine Ann Gallagher for harboring a fugitive.
