A Florida driver, responsible for crashing a Tesla into an elderly woman’s home, causing the death of the woman, her dog, and a passenger in the vehicle, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Vaughn W. Mongan, 45, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing severe bodily injury, resulting in his nearly three-decade-long prison sentence.

In September 2021, Mongan drove a new Tesla at a staggering 116 miles per hour in a residential area in Palm Harbor, significantly exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. After running a stop sign, the car crashed into a nearby house, killing 69-year-old Donna Rein, her dog, and Travis Meisman, a passenger in the vehicle.

Florida Highway Patrol officers noted that Mongan failed to stop at an intersection, veered off the road, and hit a grass edge, causing the car to become airborne, crash through a vinyl fence, and ultimately into the back of the house.

The impact of the crash killed Lilly, Rein’s 14-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. The car owner and passenger, Travis Meisman, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Other passengers in the vehicle, Colin Keeler, Sean Donahue, and Christopher French, sustained injuries from the accident.

Sergeant Steve Gaskins told a local news outlet that the vehicle penetrated the entire house, destroying a wall and part of the roof, and killing the homeowner.

Although Tesla vehicles are known for their autopilot features, there is no indication from the police that Mongan was utilizing this function at the time of the tragic incident.