Florida Jury Finds Truck Driver Guilty in 2005 Crash

A Florida jury found a tanker truck driver guilty of vehicular homicide for a fiery crash in 2005 that killed four people, including the mother of former Washington Capitals center Jeff Halpern.

A jury on Sept. 12 found 36-year-old Flavio Santisteban guilty of four counts of vehicular homicide. Each count carries a maximum 15-year-prison sentence. Sentencing has been set for Oct. 27.

In February 2005, Santisteban was driving an oil truck carrying 9,000 gallons of fuel when he flipped his tanker onto a car carrying the four victims — including Halpern’s mother, Gloria.

Prosecutors said Santisteban exceeded the advised 35 mph speed limit by up to 25 mph. A defense expert estimated that he only exceeded the advised speed by 5 to 10 mph.