Tammy Lynn Sytch’s court date has been rescheduled to next month, yet the WWE Hall of Famer, known as “Sunny,” faces the possibility of substantial prison time if convicted for her role in a fatal collision in Florida last March.
Sytch has pleaded not guilty. If she is convicted on all charges and the sentences are served consecutively, she could be sentenced to up to 26 years in prison, according to officials.
The 50-year-old Sytch faces several serious charges, including DUI Manslaughter (a third-degree felony), causing death while driving with a suspended or revoked license (also a third-degree felony), four counts of DUI resulting in injury, and three counts of DUI causing property damage.
These charges are linked to the death of 75-year-old Julian Lasseter, who died following a traffic incident in Ormond Beach, Florida, in March 2022. According to police reports from March 25, Sytch’s vehicle did not stop and crashed into a car that was stationary at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Granada Boulevard, leading to Lasseter’s death.
Her blood alcohol concentration was recorded at .280, exceeding Florida’s legal limit of .08. Authorities also discovered an open vodka bottle in her vehicle. Additionally, a blood test revealed THC, indicating that Sytch had used marijuana before the accident, as noted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
James Pente, Sytch’s fiancé, stated after the hearing that she deeply regrets the incident and extended an apology to Lasseter’s family, noting, “She feels absolutely terrible. I can’t emphasize it more. She just feels bad in general,” and expressed sorrow over the extensive damage caused by the incident.
Sytch, who rose to prominence as Sunny in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the 1990s, was the first WWF Diva and gained remarkable fame as the most downloaded celebrity on America Online in 1996.
She later wrestled under her birth name in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Ring of Honor. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.