On Wednesday (Sept 20), Circuit Judge Tesha Scolaro Ballou sentenced Anthony KEYES-WALLS (25), to fourteen (14) years in state prison after a Brevard County Jury convicted him on March 24, 2023, for DUI Manslaughter (F2), DUI Serious Bodily Injury (F3), DUI Vehicle Property Damage or Injury (M1), and Reckless Driving (M2), stemming from a crash that killed motorcyclist Ralph Napoli (64), in 2019.

 

In a five-day trial with evidence presented by Assistant State Attorneys Jason Andersen and William Scheiner, the jury deliberated three and a half (3.5) hours before returning with the guilty verdicts.

 

In order to comply with mandatory sentencing requirements, Judge Scolaro Ballou ordered KEYES-WALLS to serve 178.050 months (14.8 years) in state prison, followed by 1.95 months of probation. KEYES-WALLS license was permanently revoked, and he must perform 50 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse treatment, and pay fines and court costs totaling $14,935.00 dollars.

 

On March 10, 2019, the Florida Highway Patrol responded to reports of a suspected reckless drunk driver, followed by a crash with a fatality in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95, just north of the rest area near Mims. Their investigation determined that a 2003 Nissan 350Z, being operated by KEYES-WALLS, had been driving recklessly in excess of 100 mph (according to witnesses) southbound when it struck a motorcycle being operated by Napoli. The force of the impact drove both vehicles off the roadway and into the trees, where Napoli sustained fatal injuries. KEYES-WALLS blood alcohol content was .0925, over the legal limit of .08 BAC.

 

Tragically, Napoli was riding with a group that included his adult son, at the time of the crash.