Miami-Dade

Motorist in Key Biscayne DUI hit-and-run to plead guilty

 
 

Carlos Bertonatti, accused of a DUI hit-and-run on the Rickenbacker Causeway, will plead guilty.
Carlos Bertonatti, accused of a DUI hit-and-run on the Rickenbacker Causeway, will plead guilty.
WALTER MICHOT / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

dovalle@MiamiHerald.com

Carlos Bertonatti, the Key Biscayne man accused of killing a cyclist in a drunk-driving hit-and-run crash, will plead guilty.

The 32-year-old one-time aspiring musician told a Miami-Dade judge on Tuesday that he plans to plead guilty for the January 2010 wreck that claimed the life of Christophe LeCanne.

Bertonatti faces a minimum of 11.56 years in prison, and a max of up to 35 years behind bars.

He will plead guilty directly to the court, with no plea offer. The plea was delayed until Feb. 19 so that LeCanne’s relatives can fly into Miami from France.

Circuit Judge Bronwyn Miller will sentence Bertonatti, who is charged with DUI manslaughter, fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest without violence.

Miami-Dade prosecutors say that Bertonatti struck LeCanne from behind on the Bear Cut Bridge after swerving into the eastbound bicycle lane about 8 a.m. Bertonatti then sped off, the victim’s bicycle still wedged under his car, until he reached the village of Key Biscayne, where he was arrested.

His blood alcohol level was .122, well over the legal limit , authorities said.

His death — and that of cyclist Aaron Cohen on the Rickenbacker Causeway in February 2010 — prompted calls for safety from Miami’s avid cycling community.

Motorist Michele Traverso killed Cohen and injured another cyclist, then left the scene. He called his lawyer and turned himself the next day, too late for police to test his blood for alcohol.

Traverso pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality, which carried a maximum sentence of 30 years behind bars.

In a decision that outraged Cohen’s supporters and family, a Miami-Dade judge sentenced Traverso to just over the minimum mandatory sentence of 22.6 months behind bars, the remaining 364 days to be completed in the county jail.

Bertonatti’s court date Tuesday also comes one month after a 20-year-old bartender fatally struck a South Beach chef walking to his job at the Shore Club hotel. She too fled the scene, police said, but was arrested after a good Samaritan followed her and alerted officers.

Karlie Tomica’s blood alcohol level was a staggering .225 two hours after the crash. She will likely be formally charged with DUI manslaughter next week, as well as leaving the scene of an accident with a fatality.

The family of Stefano Riccioletti, the chef killed in the Collins Avenue accident, has filed suit against Tomica and the nightclub where she worked.

Read more Miami-Dade stories from the Miami Herald

  • Friends and Neighbors

    Charity pays for glasses for underprivileged kids

    The Heiken Children’s Vision Program provides free comprehensive eye examination and glasses when prescribed to low-income school children who fail their vision screening and have no insurance or other resources for eye care. The program was started in 1992, and since then, 75,000 children have received exams with 83 percent needing and receiving free eyeglasses.

  •  

High school senior, Nicole Muxo, received a surprise when Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade arrived at her prom on Friday, May 17.

    A PROM NIGHT TO REMEMBER

    Dwyane Wade surprises Miami teen at prom

    Persistence paid off for an Archbishop Coleman Carroll senior. She asked (and asked) and ultimately received Dwyane Wade as her prom date.

  •  

Det. Eutimio Cepero stands before cameraman from A&E's popular "The First 48" show.

    REALITY TV

    Miami police parts ways with popular “First 48” cable show

    The popular television show has helped solve Miami homicides, but critics say the cameras can be a distraction to investigators and the show seems to focus more on African-American communities.

Miami Herald

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category