St. Augustine man sentenced to 41 years in prison in Dec. 2020 crash that killed man, unborn twins

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A 33-year-old St. Augustine man was sentenced to 41 years in prison on Friday for driving under the influence in a 2020 crash that killed unborn twins and their uncle.

Michael Rhein will get credit for 422 days time served, according to St. Johns County court records.

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Rhein was arrested in September 2021 on three charges of vehicular manslaughter for the head-on crash that happened Dec. 26, 2020.

Rhein was intoxicated, according to Florida Highway Patrol, when he got behind the wheel on the evening of the crash.

FHP said Rhein was driving his 2018 Toyota Tacoma in the wrong direction on State Road 207 in St. Johns County when he collided into a Toyota Tundra with 6 people inside.

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Passenger James “Jimmy” Knippenberg, 29, of Akron, Ohio, was killed. His sister, Raquel Haralambou, who was pregnant with twins, was critically injured.

The twins did not survive. Three other adults and a 2-year-old girl were also hurt in the crash.

Raquel and Jimmy’s parents, Elizabeth and Dave Beachy, spoke to Action News Jax in January 2021 just weeks after the crash.

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“She was eight months pregnant with twins, we lost both twins,” Dave Beachy said.

The Beachys, facing the unimaginable task of having to bury a son and two unborn grandchildren, had a message for Rhein:

“You’ve taken so much from us ... call somebody to pick you up if you’re drinking and driving...because you do change people’s lives,” Elizabeth Beachy said.

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