FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — A Lee County judge ruled today that the man accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal wreck in Cape Coral will remain behind bars without bond, for now, due to him already being on probation.
Tyler Paul Janson made his first court appearance following a Sunday morning crash that claimed the life of 64-year-old Debbie Stortzum and left her husband, Chuck, with severe injuries. Janson faces charges of DUI Manslaughter along with four other DUI related counts.
A History of Impairment
The decision to hold Janson without bond stems from a pattern of behavior behind the wheel that has had him arrested before. At the time of the fatal collision, Janson was already on probation for a prior DUI arrest in August 2025. In that instance, body camera footage captured an officer telling Janson, “If I would have taken two steps over, dude, I’m dead.”
Remarkably, Janson was convicted on those prior charges just one week before Sunday’s deadly crash.
According to a 55-page motion for pre-trial detention filed by prosecutors, seeking to keep him behind bars until trial, Janson showed clear signs of impairment at the scene of the recent accident. Court documents reveal:
Janson failed field sobriety tests and initially refused a breathalyzer.When a test was finally administered three hours later, his blood alcohol level was still nearly twice the legal limit.Responding officers noted Janson appeared more concerned about the damage to his truck than the victims—including his own girlfriend, who was a passenger in his vehicle.
“There are no reasonable conditions that would protect the community from this defendant,” prosecutors argued in their motion to deny bond.
“We Need Justice”
For the family of Debbie Stortzum, the legal proceedings are a painful backdrop to a sudden, staggering loss. Debbie’s daughters, Mindi Knable and Michelle Buenker live in Illinois and describe there mother as a bright light, that always smiled and made others smile.
“She always had a smile,” Michelle said. “She was jovial, crafty… a wonderful lady.”
The tragedy is compounded by the timing; the family had been preparing to celebrate Debbie’s 65th birthday next month. Her daughters had already purchased plane tickets for a surprise visit. Now they are planning her funeral.
They say she leaves behind two other step-children and many grandchildren, her mother is also living.
Her husband Chuck was severely injured but expected to survive.
Janson is scheduled to return to court on March 9th. He remains in custody at the Lee County Jail.