A Mercedes-Benz struck, killed golf cart driver at nearly 100 mph. How the driver will pay
WEST PALM BEACH — A judge sentenced a Riviera Beach man to eight years in prison this week after the man pleaded guilty to a vehicular homicide charge in the death of a golf cart driver on the Blue Heron Boulevard bridge.
Willie Joe Shannon, 59, also pleaded guilty to one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death in the high-speed wreck that killed Troy R. Lowry, then 51 and also of Riviera Beach, in the early morning hours of Aug. 16, 2022. Investigators say Shannon's car may have been traveling at 100 mph seconds before the wreck.
Shannon entered the pleas on Thursday, Oct. 17, during a hearing at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Circuit Judge Howard Coates imposed concurrent eight-year prison sentences on both counts, with Shannon's prison term to be followed by six years of probation.
Coates also revoked Shannon's driver's license for three years, ordered that he complete 200 hours of community service and attend a panel where victims tell those convicted of motor-vehicle crimes about the toll that crashes have taken on their lives.
The judge credited Shannon with 349 days of time served in the Palm Beach County Jail, meaning that Shannon has already completed nearly a year of his sentence. Shannon faced of minimum of 15 years and nine months in prison had the case gone to trial.
Assistant State Attorney Storm Tropea told the judge that Lowry's family agreed with the plea but did not wish to speak in open court.
At the time of his arrest, Riviera Beach police alleged that Shannon was involved in the hit-and-run on the bridge that killed Lowry shortly before 1:30 a.m. that day. They said he crashed his Mercedes-Benz into the rear of a golf cart occupied by Lowry, who at the time was the owner of Get Wet Water Sports.
A review of data from the Mercedes-Benz's air-bag control module showed that the vehicle was traveling between 99 and 113 mph in a 35 mph zone just as the crash occurred, according to the arrest report. DNA evidence collected from the steering wheel airbag was determined to be a likely match to Shannon, police said.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at . Help support our work: Subscribe today.
