Teen's Mom Wants Harsher Penalty In Driving Death

By VALERIE KALFRIN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jul 26, 2007

TAMPA - A mother wants stronger punishment for two people accused of serving alcohol to her 17-year-old son before he crashed and died while driving drunk.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office confirmed Monday that prosecutors have filed a misdemeanor charge of hosting an open house party against Lamar Justice and Tara McEntarffer, both 42. Authorities say the two provided alcohol to Tyler Matthew Clark of Valrico and his friends shortly before Clark crashed his 1995 Jeep Wrangler early Oct. 8.

The Jeep, carrying six passengers, was headed west on Bloomingdale Avenue near Bell Shoals Road when it hit a tree, killing Clark and injuring his passengers, investigators said.

Clark's blood-alcohol level registered .10, above the limit at which state law presumes impairment, investigators said.

Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said Justice and McEntarffer each received a notice to appear in court Aug. 20 to be arraigned on the criminal charge.

The second-degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to 60 days in jail, she said.

No one answered the door Wednesday at the Valrico house where Justice and McEntarffer live.

Reached by telephone, Denise Clark, Tyler Clark's mother, called the charges a disappointment.

"It just really upsets me," she said. "This is just like a slap on the hand. What is 60 days? Sixty days is nothing."

Denise Clark said she has been researching laws in other states since her son's death. She said she found a similar situation in California in which a man was charged with 16 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and received two years in prison.

Whatever the penalty in the local case, Clark said she hoped the charge would have some effect on McEntarffer.

"Maybe she'll learn her lesson," she said. "Hopefully she will, because she has a child."

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.