His car struck and killed a driver stranded along Florida's Turnpike. Here's his penalty.

WEST PALM BEACH — A judge has sentenced a 42-year-old Delray Beach-area man to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to a vehicular homicide charge in the March 2021 death of a motorist stranded along Florida's Turnpike.

Michael Scott Paul, 42, entered the plea during a March 23 hearing before Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe, who also revoked his driver's license for three years. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office dropped a second charge of DUI manslaughter.

Florida Highway Patrol investigators said Paul's 2017 Hyundai Tuscon SUV struck and killed 44-year-old Miami resident Christian Danillo Portillo at about 6 p.m. on March 30, 2021. At the time of the wreck, Portillo was standing on the shoulder of the turnpike after his 2007 Toyota Tundra pickup broke down in the southbound lanes near the Glades Road exit in suburban Boca Raton.

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A trooper who responded to the scene said Paul showed signs of being impaired. Test results showed he had both fentanyl and marijuana in his system, according to FHP reports.

As conditions of his probation, Paul must:

  • Wear an ankle monitor for the first year.

  • Attend a victim-impact panel, in which people tell offenders how impaired drivers affected their lives.

  • Take an eight-hour defensive driving course.

  • Complete 250 hours of community service.

Rowe credited Paul with two days of time served in the Palm Beach County Jail and ordered him to pay $618 in court costs.

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 Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Driver who struck, killed man stranded on Florida's Turnpike pleads guilty