Drunken driver begins 30-day sentence after crash that killed child’s parents

Jun. 11--A driver who was legally drunk when she plowed into another car -- killing both of her passengers and leaving their 6-year-old daughter an orphan -- has started serving a 30-day jail sentence.

Judith Khouri, 56, of Pompano Beach, reported to jail 6 p.m. May 31. She'll serve her sentence on consecutive weekends, according to court records.

Benyamin "Benny" Benyamin and his wife, Zafrit "Sofie" Ruvio Benyamin, were both passengers in Khouri's 1998 Mercedes when she did not yield the right of way to a Honda traveling on a green light at 3 a.m. March 26, 2017.

As a result, the Honda T-boned the Mercedes at Commercial Boulevard and Northwest 70th Avenue in Lauderhill.

Their family said Khouri was a friend of the couple who had gone to the bar to celebrate Benny Benyamin's birthday. The couple had gotten a ride through a ride-hailing service to get to their birthday party, but rode home with Khouri on their way back.

Police said Khouri's blood alcohol level was .014 almost three hours after the crash. The legal limit in Florida is .08.

The Lauderhill patrol officer saw Khouri getting out of her car, the police report said, "wearing a blue dress and a party band," and she had a "strong smell of alcohol."

Court records show the case was prosecuted as a misdemeanor DUI. The State Attorney's Office said in a memo in February that it could not prove which driver caused the crash, the speed at impact, or even where in the intersection the crash occurred despite "hundreds of hours" trying to obtain cellphone records and reviewing traffic light sequence and surveillance videos. The memo also faulted the lack of proper documentation and preservation of the crash scene.

Still, prosecutors asked for 180 days in jail, which the judge reduced to 30. Khouri also must spend 150 hours speaking to youth groups about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The Benyamins' daughter, Shiraz Benyamin, then an elementary student at Ben Gamla Charter School in Plantation, was so distraught at the burial that family held onto her because "we were afraid she'd jump" into the graves, according to her aunt.

Although the criminal case is over, a civil case continues.

Miami-based attorney Sagi Shaked, who represents the Benyamin family, said a confidential settlement was reached with Khouri's insurance company. A second lawsuit, against the club where the couple and Khouri were drinking that night, is also pending. No trial date has been set.

Khouri and the Benyamins met at Trapeze, a nightclub in Tamarac. According to Shaked's lawsuit, Trapeze continued to serve alcohol to Khouri "despite showing signs of intoxication for several hours and a reputation for being a drunkard." The club does not sell alcohol but provides glasses, ice and bartenders to mix drinks for customers who bring their own liquor.

Zafrit Benyamin's sister, Liya Ruvio, is frustrated with the sentence, calling it a "weekend get-away in jail."

Shaked said the family is shattered over their loss.

"They are extremely upset," Shaked said of the family's reaction to the 30-day jail sentence. "It doesn't make sense -- she's the driver, she was drinking, their lives are over and she continues on with life. What kind of system do we have? That's a joke. A little girl has no mom, no dad, and she [Khouri] continues on with life like nothing happened.

"How does that deter anybody?"

The Benyamin's daughter, who was 6 at the time, has been formally adopted by her father's family after a custody dispute with her mother's family. Benny Benyamin's siblings could not be reached for comment.

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