A Florida TikTok user who caused the deaths of six farmworkers in 2022 has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the fatal Palm Beach collision.
Noah Galle, 20, of Wellington, agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors on Monday, Jan. 6, in order to avoid a trial and receive a reduced sentence, according to WPTV 5, WCHS-TV, and the Palm Beach Post. Galle will spend 12 years and 180 days in prison.
He pleaded guilty to six counts of vehicular homicide.
Galle, the son of a Wellington attorney, was 17 years old when he murdered Mirlaine Julceus, 45; Filaine Dieu, 46; Vanice Percina, 29; Remize Michel, 53; Marie Louis, 61; and Michel Saint, 77, on U.S. Route 441 on January 27, 2022.
The 17-year-old’s BMW M5 “violently impacted” the back of the victims’ Rogue while traveling at 151 mph, pushing the SUV “forward several feet into the passenger compartment,” according to a police report.
If Galle’s case went to trial, he would face at least 55 years in prison, according to the Palm Beach Post.
According to the plea agreement, Galle’s prison sentence will be followed by seven years of probation and the revocation of his driver’s license for three years. He must also complete 800 hours of community service, a victim impact panel, and a 12-hour driver training course.
According to police reports, shortly after the fatal crash, someone informed law enforcement that Galle planned to “record himself driving at high rates of speed” and post the videos on Instagram and TikTok.
During an investigation, detectives discovered social media posts by Galle showing him driving at speeds of up to 182 mph. One video had the caption “whoever can guess the speed correctly wins $25 on cash app.”
He reportedly paid over $100,000 cash for the BMW M5.
As part of his plea deal, Circuit Judge Sherri Collins ordered him to post a one-minute social media video detailing his situation and advocating for safe driving, as reported by the Palm Beach Post.
Galle did not speak at his sentencing, instead allowing defense attorney Liz Parker to read his statement for him.
“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,” she told me. “He wishes every day that he had died in the accident and not the victims.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Alan Johnson issued a statement on behalf of the victims’ families.
“The victims’ families have written to us, stating that they do not object to this plea. Some of them did not want him to go to jail at all. One wanted us to drop the case completely. What would be the appropriate sentence in this case? No amount of prison time will return the victims to their families. We believe this is an appropriate resolution. The statement read, “This case is a tragedy.”
