OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The surviving driver of a controversial Ocala traffic accident that claimed two lives in September has been arrested and charged with two counts of DUI Manslaughter.
Thirty-three-year-old Joel Gonzalo Zelaya was arrested on Friday, October 30, 2026, for his part in a two-car collision that occurred at the intersection of SE Maricamp Road and SE 36th Avenue during the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Zelaya was allegedly driving the minivan that collided with an SUV, killing a 50-year-old mother and 31-year-old son.
The day after the crash, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken confirmed in a press release that OPD had an interaction with Zelaya and his brother just minutes before the collision occurred. Officers found the Zalayas’ minivan stopped in an active traffic lane on State Road 200, where the brothers were standing outside the vehicle, arguing.
The brothers were released to drive their vehicle away, even though body cam footage of the interaction shows both brothers exhibiting what could be interpreted as signs of inebriation.
“Unfortunately, and for reasons that I can’t full yet explain, the officers failed to investigate a possible DUI or even question the driver’s level of intoxication,” said Balken during the press conference. “Instead, the brothers were allowed to drive away, and within minutes had struck and killed the victims.”
According to the arrest report and OPD announcement, Zalaya’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) when taken shortly after the collision was above the legal threshold for DUI.