A former Fort Lauderdale cop who hit and killed a pedestrian on Federal Highway and, it was later learned, had a history of excessive speeding in his patrol car was sentenced Friday to 60 days in jail and fined $250.
“I don’t have a mom anymore,” the victim’s daughter told the court.
Former police officer Alexander Griss offered a tearful apology to Althea Tobias McKay’s family for the “tragic accident,” yet disputed that he drove at speeds as excessive as testified to. After a month, a jury acquitted Griss, 26, of vehicular homicide and instead convicted him of misdemeanor reckless driving for the June 2006 crash that killed McKay, 39.
“All I ever wanted to do was help people, I never wanted to hurt anybody,” Griss said Friday. “The last four years I have been in a lot of pain and I will live with this for the rest of my life.
“I am truly sorry, I hope you believe me,” he said.
Before imposing the sentence, Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes reminded Griss that because he was a police officer it set him apart from others.
“We gave you a car, a badge and a gun and that was to protect and defend the citizens,” she said. “Not to continue with a penchant for a lead foot.”
She also sentenced him to six months of probation and 100 hours of community service.
McKay, of Lauderdale Lakes was crossing the street at about 5:20 a.m. when Griss, who had been traveling along Federal Highway at speeds of up to 90 mph, hit her and threw her body 112 feet.
He had just gone off duty.
Griss’ attorney, Mike Dutko, effectively put the victim on trial, saying she was largely responsible for her own death.
High on crack cocaine and copious amounts of alcohol, she walked “like a zombie onto Federal Highway,” Dutko said.
What jurors did not learn was that Griss had a history of driving at excessive speeds.
Fort Lauderdale police fired him Aug. 20, 2007 after an internal investigation showed that he regularly drove faster than 100 mph both on and off duty in his patrol car.
In the month before McKay’s death, Griss drover faster than 90 mph at least 90 times, according to the report.
Investigators said they found 15 instances of Griss driving faster than 110 mph, mostly on interstate highways. He reached 118 mph twice on Interstate 595 and 114 mph once on A1A.
Right after taking the witness stand Friday, the victim’s daughter, Alexandria Brown, broke into tears, something she said she has done on a daily basis since losing her mother.
“I was 19 when my mom died,” Brown said. “I have to live with this for the rest of my life.”
Holmes could have sentenced Griss to anything ranging from probation to a maximum of 90 days in jail.
Griss and the City of Fort Lauderdale previously settled a civil suit with McKay’s family for $145,000.