A Florida TikToker known for posting videos of himself speeding recently avoided a lengthy jail sentence for a crash he caused nearly three years ago that killed six people.
In exchange for a guilty plea, 20-year-old Noah Galle received a 12-year prison sentence after speeding nearly 100 mph over the speed limit on a Palm Beach County road and causing a fatal crash on Jan. 27, 2022.
That evening, then-17-year-old Galle was racing his $100,000 2019 BMW M5 at 151 mph on a state road with a speed limit of 55 mph and slammed it into an SUV, claiming the lives of six people who had just left work after their shifts ended.
Authorities identified the victims who were all farmworkers as 45-year-old Mirlaine Julceus, 46-year-old Filaine Dieu, 29-year-old Vanice Percina, 53-year-old Remize Michel, 60-year-old Marie Michelle Louis, and 77-year-old Michel Louis Saint.
Local reports identified the fatal incident as one of the deadliest crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Galle, the son of prominent Palm Beach County attorney Craig Galle, became widely known on TikTok for videos of him barreling down county roads and highways at dizzying speeds and paying $25 to any viewer who could correctly guess his speed.
The New York Post reported that a search of the younger Galle’s social media accounts revealed an Instagram video of him driving 182 mph on Interstate 95.
Negotiated by Galle’s legal team and Chief Assistant State Attorney Al Johnson, the plea bargain Galle accepted for the 2022 crash saved him from potentially spending the rest of his life in prison.
Had he gone to trial and been convicted, he could have faced up to 90 years in prison for the six counts of vehicular homicide he was charged with. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years each.
Galle prepared a statement of remorse to the families but had his attorney read it during his sentencing hearing.
“There’s not a day goes by that Noah doesn’t think about his actions and what impact they have had on so many lives,” attorney Liz Parker said. “He wishes every day that he had died in the accident and not the victims.”
None of the victims’ families attended Galle’s sentencing hearing. Johnson later told media outlets that they had mixed reactions to the sentence.
He reported that one family member was “devastated” but didn’t object, one wished the state hadn’t prosecuted the young man at all, and others felt the sentence was just.
“The victims’ families have written to us that they did not object to this plea,” Johnson said. “Some of them didn’t even want him to go to jail at all. … What is the proper sentence in the case like this? No amount of prison time will bring the victims back to their families. We feel this is an appropriate resolution. This case is a tragedy.”
When asked why Galle deserved the reduced sentence, his defense attorneys wrote in a memorandum that the 20-year-old’s remorse, his efforts to fundraise for the victims’ families, and several “significant undiagnosed medical conditions” they blamed for the crash were all factors in the plea negotiations, according to the Palm Beach Post.
People who learned of Galle’s sentence through social media expressed their opposition under a post by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
“This makes me physically ill. This is not justice for the six, hardworking, innocent people killed and their families,” one person commented.
“12 years is a joke,” another wrote.
“12 yrs for six lives?? . Ridiculous. Life in prison, no parole. You have people serving 12 yrs for mj possession, didn’t kill anyone. But I guess rich kids only get a slap on the wrist, sickening system,” added another.
Galle will only have to serve a minimum of 85% of his sentence, which amounts to roughly 10 years. Once he completes his prison term, he’ll be on probation for seven years and his license will be revoked for three years.
The judge presiding over Galle’s case also ordered the 20-year-old to post a one-minute video sharing his story and advocating for the importance of safe driving. He must also complete 800 hours of community service, take a 12-hour driving course, and attend a panel where he will hear stories from crash victims about how injuries from dangerous driving have affected their lives.
His sentence will begin on Feb. 3. Until then, he will spend the next few weeks under house arrest.
