Inset top: Allen Matis (Miami-Dade Corrections). Inset bottom: Henry Bezy (WTVJ). Background: Henry Bezy’s home in Coral Gables, Florida (WPLG).
A Florida real estate developer has been sentenced to prison after driving drunk into an elderly man’s home, crashing through the residence and killing him as he slept.
Allen Matis, 68, pleaded guilty in a Miami courtroom to DUI manslaughter and related felony charges arising from the deadly crash. The collision happened at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, in the 2900 block of Southwest 57th Avenue in the unincorporated Coral Terrace area. Henry Bezy, 82, was asleep in his bedroom when Matis’ vehicle struck the house, leaving Bezy trapped beneath it, local ABC affiliate WPLG reported.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Matis told police he had been driving home from a luxury hotel before the crash.
A prosecutor said Matis’ own account suggested he had become so intoxicated at the Ritz-Carlton that he drove past his residence without realizing it, according to a courtroom report by WPLG.
On Thursday, Judge Tanya Brinkley sentenced Matis to six years in prison, WPLG reported.
“Henry’s death is a cross I am going to carry for the rest of my life,” Matis said during the hearing, according to the station. He also said he planned to dedicate more of his life to charity and helping people in need.
The judge, however, redirected the discussion toward Bezy and his family.
“Let’s talk about what matters, which is the fact that you single-handedly and voluntarily crashed your car into their home, where people are supposed to be safe and secure, and you killed a man,” Brinkley said.
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“He had loved ones, and I have shattered — I put holes in their lives I can’t possibly fill,” Matis said. “I can’t undo this.”
Bezy’s sister, Claire Bezy, was also reportedly inside the house when the crash occurred. She remembered her brother as a “vibrant person, always available to talk to.”
“Now there is a void taking his place, and nothing will ever change that. Nothing will bring him back,” Claire Bezy said, according to local NBC affiliate WTVJ.
Matis’ blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, WPLG reported. Police said he did not brake before striking the house. As Law&Crime previously reported, Matis was driving a 2025 Cadillac Lyriq when he allegedly ran a stop sign and slammed into the residence. The vehicle broke through the exterior wall, and investigators estimated its speed at roughly 43 mph.
Police body-camera footage appeared to show Matis confused as officers arrived at the scene, according to WTVJ.
Bezy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Along with the six-year prison sentence, Matis will serve probation and complete 200 hours of community service, WTVJ reported. His driver’s license was also suspended.
David Harris contributed to this report.
The post Driver who blew past his own home before crashing into bedroom of sleeping 82-year-old learns his fate first appeared on Law & Crime.
