Released from state prison weeks earlier and driving on a suspended license, Ryann Rae Davis, a 38-year-old resident of Whitehall Drive in Palm Coast and a convicted felon, faces two new felonies following an alleged drunk-driving crash involving two other vehicles on I-95 last Thursday. She’s now being held on $100,000 bond.
Davis was at the wheel of a Kia Optima, driving north on I-95 late the night of April 10 when she lost control of her car and collided with a Nissan Rogue, sending it spinning and colliding with a Volvo XC60, which also spun out. All three vehicles ended up on the right grassy shoulder, the Kia and the Nissan heavily damaged, the Volvo with minor damage. Davis complained of injuries. Occupants of the other cars were not seriously injured.
Davis had left prison on January five after serving a sentence for felony battery (a third offense) and methamphetamine possession. In an open plea that avoided a potential 10 years in prison, she had been sentenced to three years on probation, the first year on house arrest. She violated her probation, causing her house arrest to be revoked and the prison sentence imposed. (In 2021 she’d been arrested for violating probation as well.)
An open plea is when the defendant leaves it to the judge to decide a sentence, in that case Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols. If there was any mercy in the sentence, the judge is not likely to be as forbearing when the defendant reappears in court so soon with new charges, after endangering the lives of others. County Judge Melissa Distler imposed the high bond at Davis’s first court appearance, ensuring that she is not likely to be behind a wheel any time soon.
The drunk driving charge she now faces is a felony, as it is her third drunk driving offence within 10 years. It was the fourth time she was charged for driving without a license. At the scene of the crash, emotional and upset, Davis immediately told the Florida Highway Patrol trooper that she had no license. She claimed she was swerving to avoid a motorcyclist just before the crash.
At the scene, her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and she emanated a “moderate” odor of alcohol, according to her arrest report. When the trooper asked her how much she’d had to drink, she said “two shots.” Her field sobriety exercises indicated impairment, the report states. She refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, which is a misdemeanor. She was taken to AdventHealth Palm Coast for clearance, then booked at the Flagler County jail.
Davis is being represented by Assistant Public Defender Spencer O’Neal. She is to be arraigned on May 20.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
So fortunate that no one was killed. Sounds like it would only have been a matter of time before that happened, so I hope her driving privileges are revoked and never reinstated.
JimboXYZ says
They know what needs to be done. Impaired & stupid is no way to go thru life. The 3rd strike, she needs to sit on the sidelines in prison for a long time, it’ll save the rest of us from having to avoid her alcohol abuse, meth addict tragic flaws. Where is she getting her meth ? Those people need to be identified & locked up for enabling this. These type of news stories are just getting too repetitive to bear any more.
Atwp says
What’s next?
DaleL says
Ryann Rae Davis had no valid drivers license. How is it that she was in possession of the Kia Optima? There is no constitutional right to possess an automobile. This was the FOURTH time that she was driving without a license. Whoever rented, sold, or loaned her the car should have verified that she legally could operate the vehicle. However I checked and guess what, in Florida, there are no specific laws or regulations that require you to have a driver’s license to buy a car. This means that even if you don’t have a license, you can still go to a dealership or a private seller and purchase a vehicle. Except under special circumstances, it should not be legal to sell or loan a vehicle to anyone who cannot legally operate the vehicle.
The penalty for refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test should only be a misdemeanor for a person with no prior DUI convictions.
As for Davis, I have no objection to some of my taxes going towards housing her in prison for a long time.