Boca-area attorney faces DUI manslaughter charge after 2022 crash killed motorcyclist
BOCA RATON — A Boca Raton-area attorney is facing one count each of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide following a crash that killed a 51-year-old motorcyclist nearly a year ago.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 17 arrested Richard Dorfman in the death of Ingrid Eva Noon, 51, of suburban Boca Raton.
Investigators say Dorfman was driving at more than double the posted speed limit of 45 mph when his 2020 Tesla Model 3 rear-ended Noon's Kawasaki Vulcan S motorcycle in suburban Boca Raton on Aug. 26, 2022. Tests found that his blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal threshold for intoxication, according to a PBSO report.
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Crash occurred after both vehicles left microbrewery
Dorfman, 40, was placed on in-house arrest following his release from custody Aug. 18 on $75,000 bond. An attorney who represented Dorfman in the initial court hearing declined to comment.
The PBSO report said the crash took place on Southwest 18th Street near Boca Rio Road in the early morning hours of Aug. 26.
Investigators say both vehicles were seen leaving the parking lot of a restaurant and microbrewery on Palmetto Park Park and exiting onto southbound Powerline Road. The vehicles traveled south and then made the westbound turn onto Southwest 18th.
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Investigators say Dorfman failed to observe the motorcycle slowing for a changing traffic signal and the crash report indicates he braked just seconds before the wreck. Dorfman called 911, during which time he told a dispatcher that the motorcycle unexpectedly cut in front of him, the PBSO report said.
The report indicates that Dorfman's speech was slurred while speaking to the dispatcher and that he gave confusing and contradicting statements.
Tests found Tesla driver exceeded threshold for intoxication
Noon died at Delray Medical Center. Dorfman received treatment at Boca Raton Regional Hospital for injuries that weren't specified in the report.
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A blood draw taken upon Dorfman's admission to a hospital that morning revealed that he had a blood-alcohol level of .211/.210, more than than twice the legal threshold for intoxication of 0.08, according to the report. The test also revealed traces of marijuana in his system, investigators said.
According to the arrest report, information collected from the Tesla's event data recorder showed that the vehicle was traveling at 95 mph and accelerating to 104 mph just before the collision.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fatal crash has Boca Raton-area lawyer facing DUI manslaughter charge
