Woman who got 15 years in prison for DUI resulting in death of motorcyclist back in court
An Edgewater woman with four drunk driving convictions, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for hitting and killing an Ohio motorcyclist in March, is scheduled to be back in court today for a hearing regarding funeral costs she was ordered to pay the victim's family, court officials said.
State Attorney spokeswoman Haley Harrison said Wednesday that Lisa Rose Lange, 62, was in the Volusia County Branch Jail awaiting her appearance in court. Records show Lange has a hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday before Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano.
Court records show that Lange was ordered to pay $2,055 for funeral expenses to the family of Louis Hopper, 75, of Cincinnati, the motorcyclist police said she struck and killed in Edgewater at 8:07 p.m. on March 7. The order outlined that Lange has to pay $50 a month through the Florida Department of Corrections.
A restitution stipulation also states that an additional amount of $2,784.55 is being sought for related expenses and may be resolved with a later agreement or hearing before the court 60 days from Lange's sentencing that occurred on October 20.
Lange pled no contest to driving under the influence and causing a death, court records show.
Florida Department of Corrections records show Lange went to prison on Nov. 8. Her release date is scheduled for March 2, 2038.
Prison for motorcycle deaths Woman convicted in crash that killed a Daytona Beach couple riding a motorcycle
Edgewater police said that on March 7, Hopper was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of South Ridgewood Avenue and East Park Avenue when he was hit from behind by Lange.
Surveillance videos obtained by police show Hopper stopped at the light in the right lane of Ridgewood Avenue. Seconds later Lange's vehicle hits the rear tire of Hopper's motorcycle without braking, according to records.
Hopper was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition but later died. At the time of the crash, Lange was ticketed and arrested for DUI. The State Attorney's Office amended Lange's charge on March 21 to include DUI causing a death.
Edgewater police investigations and court records show that Lange was convicted of DUI in Connecticut in 1994, and twice more in 2021 and 2022 in Volusia County. In 2022, Lange was convicted of DUI causing property damage, according to court records.
Harrison said Lange has filed an appeal in her case which court records show is now before 5th District Court of Appeals in Daytona Beach.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida woman gets 15 years prison, ordered to pay funeral costs
