MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — It wasn’t his first, second, or even third DUI.
Investigators said Michael Holder, 57, was arrested for his fourth DUI after causing a deadly drunk driving crash.
An arrest report from Florida Highway Patrol said Holder was driving with a blood alcohol content of .23, nearly triple the legal limit, when he drove into the wrong lanes on Dixie Highway and Grafton Avenue, sideswiped a Jeep, and hit a Cadillac head-on.
Kyle Bradshaw, 31, was driving that Cadillac, according to investigators, and was killed in the crash.
Bradshaw's family placed a roadside memorial near the site of the crash, writing, “We love you son. So sad. So early. Your smile lit the room. You will be so sorely missed.”
Following the crash, investigators wrote that upon checking Holder’s driving record, they found three previous DUI convictions.
“My first reaction was oh no here we go again,” said Melanie Trewyn.
Trewyn lost her daughter, Claudia Trewyn Bradley, 31, in the same way in 2021. Bradley was hit by a drunk driver and killed in Fort Pierce along Indian River Drive.
“People always think it’s not going to happen to them. It always is going to happen to someone else, but not to them,” Trewyn said.
Trewyn has since become an advocate to stop drunk driving, forming a non-profit called Remember For Change. She said she aims to support measures like finding affordable treatment for people addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Trewyn has also created coasters she leaves at area bars and restaurants with QR codes that put patrons in touch with taxis or other safe modes of transportation.
“This is our primary way of letting people know there are other rides home,” Trewyn said. “Your freedom to drink should not impose on someone else’s freedom to stay alive.”
Law enforcement officers said this latest arrest proves there is only so much they can do to stop drunk drivers and repeat offenders.
“I have a DUI Task Force. I have full-time deputies that do nothing but DUI. All the PSAs that are out there, the law enforcement that’s engaged in trying to stop this behavior. If somebody pushes past all those stops, I’m not sure what else can be done,” said Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
But with the holidays approaching, Snyder fears the temptation for some to drink and drive will become stronger. In a matter of days, he said his team will be increasing DUI enforcement aiming to prevent any other DUI deaths this holiday season.
“If you drink, get a friend, get an Uber. If my deputies find you, you’ll get a place in the Martin County jail,” Snyder said.
Holder remains in jail with a bond of $105,000 on charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI causing property damage.
