Former pro wrestler Tammy “Sunny” Sytch has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for drunkenly colliding with another car, killing a 75-year-old man, while her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit, authorities in Florida said.
Sytch, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, pleaded no contest in August to driving under the influence manslaughter and other charges.
She also had an unsealed bottle of vodka in her vehicle and cannabis in her system at the time of her arrest in Volusia County in March 2022, authorities said.
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She had faced up to more than 25 years in prison during her sentencing hearing.
During the hearing, Sytch said she felt remorse and regret “deep in my soul” for killing Julian LaFrancis Lasseter of Daytona Beach.
“I know my words are not enough. But please know I think about you every day,” Sytch told Lasseter’s family in court according to Fox35.
“Every second of every day, and I will do whatever I can to make the changes I need to make sure this never happens again.
“No one should have to go through this and please know that every single second of every day since the crash, I wish I could change places with him.”
Sytch, 50, previously had been arrested multiple times from driving under the influence in Pennsylvania, where her driver’s licence had been suspended. She didn’t have a Florida driver’s licence.
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“It changed everything to find out that my dad, our rock, was no longer with us,” said Whitney Lasseter Hill, Lasseter’s daughter, according to the Daytona Beach Journal-News.
“He was my world. He was the most positive person. He loved life. And he was a man of God. He was my biggest cheerleader.”
State Attorney RJ Larizza said in a statement after sentencing.
“The defendant’s history of drinking and driving is horrendous. It was only a matter of time before her drunk driving killed an innocent and unsuspecting individual.”
Sytch first signed a contract with the WWE in 1995 and became a fan favorite. She also managed other WWE personalities and did broadcasting.