One of the manslaughter charges against Yankees World Series hero Jim Leyritz was dropped Thursday, as his attorney is set to give closing arguments in his fatal DUI case in Fort Lauderdale.
A charge of manslaughter while impaired was dropped against the former Major Leaguer, but Leyritz still faces a different manslaughter charge.
Leyritz, 46, faces a maximum of 15 years behind bars in the December 2007 death of 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch. The former major leaguer had been celebrating his 44th birthday with friends on Fort Lauderdale beach when his SUV collided with Veitch's car around 3 a.m. after Leyritz allegedly ran a red light.
Prosecutors ended their case last week, after a week of testimony. Prosecutors claim Leyritz's blood-alcohol level was .14 percent three hours after the crash, above Florida's .08 limit. Veitch had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18, authorities said.
A crash expert testifying for the prosecution last week said Leyritz wasn't speeding at the time of the crash, and a passenger in Leyritz's car at the time of the crash testified that he never saw the traffic light turn red.
A defense expert claimed Wednesday that Leyritz's blood-alcohol level was actually below the limit when the crash occurred, and later rose after Leyritz took a vodka shot moments after the crash to calm his nerves.
Leyritz spent 11 years in Major League Baseball with the Yankees, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. His hallmark moment came in 1996, when he hit a 3-run home run against the Atlanta Braves in game 4 of the World Series.
