Bluffton man pleads guilty after causing fatal crash | Beaufort County News

BEAUFORT — A Bluffton man whose blood alcohol content was more than twice the state legal limit when he caused a fatal crash has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence.

Carlos Mauricos Acosta Galvez, 40, appeared in a Beaufort courthouse on Sept. 17 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after entering his plea. Under state law, a felony DUI conviction carries a sentence of one to 25 years in prison.

On August 6, 2023, Galvez was driving at over 100 mph through the intersection of U.S. 278 and Buckwalter Parkway when he struck a vehicle. That vehicle then struck a motorcycle, killing the driver, Marc Ernest Garrity. Garrity was a 54-year-old Beaufort resident.

Galvez’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.169 percent, well over the state limit of 0.08 percent. He reportedly tried to flee the scene, but was apprehended by police before he could get away.

Additionally, Galvez pleaded guilty to a second charge, driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury. That conviction earned him a 15-year prison sentence, but the two sentences will be served concurrently.

“The facts of this case made it clear that Mr. Galvez had absolutely no regard for the value of human life,” said Sara E. Malone of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “He was sentenced accordingly in state court and also faces federal charges.”

A press release from the law firm said Galvez was convicted earlier this year in U.S. District Court for illegal entry. He was sentenced to a prison term and one year of supervised release. He was also convicted on a similar federal charge in 2020.