Courtesy of Orange County Jail
Key Points
- Caitlyn Nichole Swatkowski was sentenced to 127.65 months in prison and four years supervised probation for a 2024 DUI crash that killed her daughter.
- Swatkowski pled no contest to DUI manslaughter and DUI with personal injury, with other charges dropped by prosecutors.
- Her probation includes permanent license revocation, DUI education, 100 hours of community service, and a ban on alcohol and illegal drugs consumption.
A DeBary woman was sentenced Oct. 8 to more than 10 years in prison for DUI manslaughter stemming from a 2024 crash in Apopka that killed her 4-year-old daughter and seriously injured another child.
Caitlyn Nichole Swatkowski, 36, pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter and DUI with personal injury, according to Orange County court records. The court adjudicated her guilty of both charges.
She received a sentence of 127.65 months in state prison, followed by four years of supervised probation. The court credited her with 675 days already served and designated four years of the prison term as mandatory.
For the misdemeanor DUI with personal injury charge, she received 364 days in the Orange County Jail, with credit for the full term already served. That sentence runs concurrently with the prison sentence.
Prosecutors dropped four remaining charges: aggravated manslaughter of a child, vehicular homicide, child neglect and reckless driving causing damage to property or a person.
The single-vehicle crash occurred Sept. 22, 2024, on State Road 429 in Apopka, according to the Apopka Police Department’s account reported by The Apopka Chief that November.
Police obtained arrest warrants following an investigation. Swatkowski was taken into custody Nov. 26, 2024, while attending an unrelated court hearing in Volusia County.
The October court minutes state that victim impact statements were read aloud during the hearing.
The probation order lists her license action as “Permanent Suspension/Revocation” and states that the court has no objection to a business-purpose-only permit when she becomes eligible.
Her probation conditions include DUI education, a victim impact course, 100 hours of community service and a prohibition on possessing or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs.
The court ordered restitution and reserved jurisdiction for 60 days to determine the amount.