ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Former professional wrestler Tamara “Sunny” Sytch was arrested Friday in connection to a vehicle crash in Florida that left one person dead in March, authorities said.
Sytch, 49, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, was charged with one count of DUI causing death, seven counts of DUI causing damage to a person and property, and driving with a suspended license that resulted in a fatality, according to Volusia County online booking records.
She was released on Saturday afternoon after posting $227,500 bail, online records show.
Her blood-alcohol level was found to be 3 ½ times the legal limit while driving, police said. https://t.co/2VvgCYNjuX
— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) May 7, 2022
The crash occurred around 8:28 p.m. EDT on March 25 in Ormond Beach and led to the death of Julian Lasseter, 75, WFTV reported.
According to the Ormond Beach Police Department, Sytch was driving a 2012 Mercedes southbound on U.S. 1 when she hit a 2013 Kia Sorrento driven by Lasseter, who was stopped at a traffic light.
>> Police: WWE Hall of Famer involved in fatal car crash in Florida
The impact sent the Kia into the rear of a 2011 GMC Yukon, which was stopped in front of the Kia at the traffic light, according to a news release. The passengers in the Kia were injured but did not go to a hospital, police said.
Sytch was taken to an area hospital, treated and released. According to a police report, blood samples were taken from Sytch. Her blood-alcohol level was found to be 3½ times higher than Florida’s legal limit of 0.08% while driving, WFTV reported.
On Jan. 13, 2022, police in Keansburg, New Jersey, arrested Sytch after she allegedly threatened a partner with a pair of scissors, according to Bleacher Report. One month later, on Feb. 24, she was arrested again in Keansburg and charged with a variety of driving offenses, according to the Post and Courier. Charges included DWI, reckless driving and driving without a license, the newspaper reported.
In 2019, Sytch was arrested on a DWI charge for the sixth time, according to the sports news site. In 2018 she served six months in jail.
Sytch broke into the pro wrestling in 1992 and is best known for her time in the WWF (now WWE) from 1995 to 1998, according to Bleacher Report. She worked with the Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion in 1998 and had a brief run with World Championship Wrestling in 2000, according to the Post and Courier.
Sytch was primarily a manager for tag teams, including The Bodydonnas, The Smoking Gunns, The Godwinns and Legion of Doom 2000, the sports site reported. She also managed Skip and Faarooq Assad in singles matches.
©2022 Cox Media Group
