Man who killed Odessa bicyclists in 2021 DUI crash gets 45 years in prison

As an emergency trauma nurse, 28-year-old Vanessa Yore said she sees death every day.

She cares for patients injured by intoxicated drivers, as well as impaired drivers themselves. Sometimes, she said, she’s the one who draws the blood that will be used to measure their alcohol levels and be presented as evidence in court.

She does this work every day, despite the fact that she said an impaired driver was responsible for the death of her father just over two years ago.

In court Friday, during the sentencing of that man, Yore recounted the day she got the call that her father and his girlfriend were killed in a crash that authorities say was caused by a driver who had been previously arrested for drug-related crimes and served two prison stints.

“I am a person that believes in second chances. I believe that people make mistakes,” Yore said. “But this man — the man who killed my father — has had second, third and fourth chances and has demonstrated no learning or improvement.”

Cory Corrado, 33, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2021 deaths of Janine Dorsey, 50, and Peter Yore, 58. Corrado pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of DUI manslaughter in January, on the condition that the judge would not sentence him to more than 50 years. Corrado’s defense attorneys asked for a 15-year sentence for their client, a departure from the 30 years recommended under sentencing guidelines.

On May 12, 2021, Corrado weaved in and out of traffic while driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser westbound on Keystone Road in East Lake, according to an arrest report. Later, investigators would determine he had high levels of meth in his system, along with other drugs.

Nearing Meadows Drive, Corrado tried to pass other vehicles in a no-passing zone, the report said. A driver heading east on Keystone swerved his Ford Escape to try to avoid a head-on collision with Corrado’s car. But the Chrysler struck the back of the Ford, causing it to roll over and careen onto the Pinellas Trail, where it hit Dorsey and Yore, who were biking.

During the sentencing hearing, Corrado became emotional as he took the witness stand and apologized to Yore’s and Dorsey’s families.

“I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done — truly,” he said. “And I know that me sitting here telling you means nothing, but, I mean, I’m sorry.”

His mother, Tracy Cartwright, also took the stand to share her son’s story. She sobbed for much of the hearing.

Corrado’s defense attorneys painted a picture of a troubled young man who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and began getting into trouble after his parents got divorced. He started using marijuana at age 10 and opiates at age 13, defense witnesses testified. And he had a cyst in his brain that needed treatment he would not be able to get in prison, his attorneys said.

Want breaking news in your inbox?

Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter

You’ll receive real-time updates on major issues and events in Tampa Bay and beyond as they happen.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Yore’s family members recounted a man who loved to spend time outdoors and opened his own medical supply business at 19 and sold it at age 35, later becoming a real estate investor. Dorsey’s family recalled a woman dedicated to her community who volunteered and even helped capture Ybor City chickens so they would be safe during a hurricane. One of Dorsey’s daughters, 24-year-old Kelly Dorsey, reflected on all the milestones she would not get to share with her mother — her graduation from medical school, her wedding and the birth of her children.

Yore and Dorsey loved to bike on a yellow tandem they called the Pineapple Express. Dorsey was a former Tampa Tribune staff member.

Yore and Dorsey’s family members asked Corrado to repent for his crime. Many of them said they forgave him, drawing upon their Christian faith.

After the hearing, family members told the Tampa Bay Times they felt the judge had given Corrado a fair sentence. They knew it would never bring back their loved ones.

But Peter Yore’s daughter, Vanessa, said as she looked at Janine Dorsey’s daughter, Kelly, the two girls knew their parents would be proud of them.