A Lake City driver and former high school football standout who had been ordered to stay away from alcohol is facing a serious felony charge over a head-on collision in heavy fog in late 2023 that killed a Gainesville mother on her way to her church.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrested Agelu Nunu, 23, of Lake City on Tuesday in the case. The car crash killed Sonya Lindee, 53, of Gainesville, early one morning in October 2023.
Witnesses said they could smell alcohol on Nunu, and blood tests at a hospital about one hour after the crash showed Nunu’s blood alcohol content was .10, above the legal limit of .08.
In dense, heavy fog, the accident occurred on State Road 121 at 6:15 a.m. when the left front of Nunu’s car crossed the centerline and collided with the left front of Lindee’s vehicle. Lindee was on her way to the assembly hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to her obituary.
Witnesses at the scene said that because the fog was so thick, they couldn't see Lindee’s car in the ditch a few feet away until Alachua County Fire Rescue arrived at the scene.
Lindee died at the scene. Nunu was airlifted to UF Health Shands after sustaining a broken leg, rendering him unable to walk, according to court records.
Nunu, a former three-star football prospect out of Union County High, was driving with a suspended license due to failing to appear in court in Georgia for traffic violations in January 2023, according to court records.
Following his license being suspended, Nunu was arrested again for felony possession of a controlled substance and was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and an open container violation.
Nunu was later released and placed under the supervision of a parole officer with the stipulation of avoiding drugs and alcohol.
Nunu is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and driving while his license was suspended. His bond was set at $525,000. He remained in the county jail on Wednesday.
A judge on Wednesday provisionally appointed a public defender to represent Nunu, but the lawyer wasn’t immediately identified in court records.
___
This is a breaking news story. Check back in case there are further developments. Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.