Despite Crying In Court, Deputy Gets 10 Years For Crash Which Killed Teen After Judge Questions His Sincerity

Former Broward Sheriff's deputy Franklyn McCurrie, convicted of causing a fatal accident by racing to the scene of a non-emergency, was sentenced Thursday to just under 10 years in prison.

McCurrie, 27, was found guilty in April of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of reckless driving in the January 23, 2010, death of Cara Catlin, 14, a freshman at Northeast High School in Oakland Park. Broward County Judge Dennis Bailey denied a defense request to free McCurrie on bond as he appeals the conviction.

The sentencing came after an emotional two-and-a-half-hour hearing, during which McCurrie issued a dramatic apology to the Catlin family.

"I will tell you it was not my intent by any means to hurt your daughter," he said to Catlin's father, seated about 10 feet away. "It was a very tragic accident, and my heart goes out to you."

He described trying to help Catlin after the accident. "And then our eyes connected, and I'll never forget," he said. "There's not a moment that goes by that that pain and agony and frustration doesn't come up. Life is precious."

Minutes earlier, Catlin's father, Duane Catlin, chastised McCurrie for fighting the charges for more than five years.

"He abused the judicial system, dragging this out that long," Catlin said. "We'd like to mourn."

Before he imposed his sentence, Bailey questioned the sincerity of McCurrie's repeated expressions of remorse, noting that McCurrie continuously referred to the crash as a tragic accident but never admitted he was responsible for causing it.

"He has yet to say, 'This crash was my fault,'" Bailey said.