Gainesville woman sentenced to eight years in prison for killing bicyclist on South Main Street in November 2022
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Margaret Caitlin Walker, 32, has been sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by three years of probation, after entering a plea of nolo contendere to driving under the influence and killing a bicyclist, Zeshan Haider, on November 27, 2022.
A Gainesville Police Department (GPD) investigation found that a Volvo hit a bicyclist on S. Main Street near SE 33rd Place at about 6:20 p.m. on November 27. Haider was catapulted from the roadway, came to rest in the woods next to the public sidewalk, and was found at 9:40 a.m. the next morning.
Multiple Volvo parts were found at the scene, enabling detectives to determine the make and model of the car that hit the bicyclist. The Volvo was located on November 30 after a citizen reported seeing a vehicle matching the description in a bulletin issued by GPD. An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped the Volvo for a traffic violation, and the driver identified Walker as the owner of the Volvo.
Post Miranda, the driver said Walker had asked him to take the Volvo to a body shop to repair the damage from the crash. He said Walker told him she had hit a sign on S. Main Street.
Walker turned herself in on January 11, 2023. Post Miranda, she reportedly said she was driving the Volvo on November 27 and that she had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages at multiple locations on that date. She reportedly said she felt “tipsy” when she left the last location, to the extent that her normal faculties were impaired; she said the crash happened when she looked down to adjust the music and that she stopped to check her vehicle but thought she had hit a sign. She reportedly said she didn’t report the crash because she didn’t want points on her driver’s license. She was released on $100,000 bail.
Walker was previously convicted of misdemeanor DUI in 2013 in another county.
On June 2, 2025, Walker entered a plea of nolo contendere to DUI manslaughter with a sentence of eight years in prison, followed by three years of probation, and permanent driver’s license revocation. As part of the agreement, a hit and run charge was dropped. According to the plea document, the maximum sentence for the charge is 15 years in prison. Judge William E. Davis signed the plea agreement and sentencing document.
I’ll drink to that sentence – from the secure, safe confines of my own home.
Won’t drive anywhere to get anything either.
A life might still be with us if she would have considered doing the same.
8 years. White privilege at it’s finest.
I Dedicate Song “Black Betty” by Ram Jam To Black Privilege.
get wasted, murder someone, only get 8 years. What a joke
Need to stop the plea deals and give these people the max sentence and maybe people would think about things before they act
Some peeps never learn 💩
C’mon let’s just admit what we’re all thinking: it’s a shame that a woman this pretty has to spend the next 8 years in prison.
That must be why there’s a shortage of the usual comments.
Must also be the reason for other past comments.
I Dedicate Song “Guitarzan” by Ray Stephens
what the article fails to mention is that this is her SECOND DUI.
From the article: “Walker was previously convicted of misdemeanor DUI in 2013 in another county.”
She only got 8 years because she chose utmost responsibility for her choices.
She could have easily been on the run until she got caught.
But it looks like this terrible incident is her rock bottom.
She got 8 years, because the weak prosecutors of the 8th judicial circuit saw her pretty white face and saw the name of the victim and decided someone here on a visa wasn’t worth fighting for. She didn’t take accountability. She fled.
What an absolute joke. This was her SECOND DUI.
How can the State justify: 1) dropping a charge; 2) allowing the defendant to be sentenced to less than she scores; and 3) circumventing the desires of the decedent’s family?
As a constituent and resident of the 8th judicial circuit I feel less safe knowing this is the type of sentence that Brian Kramer and his ASAs find just.
I disagree with this comment. You act like this woman got a slap on the wrist. She most certainly did not. She will be in state prison for thr next 8 years- she will not be released until sometime around 2032 and that’s with gain time. And then she has to serve 3 more years on probation and won’t have a driver’s license for the rest of her life. Stop crying like she got off easy- Brian Kramer is doing just fine.
So, if one of your friends or family members gets hit, and killed, by a drunk driver who has a prior conviction, fails to stop and render aid (or even call law enforcement) and leaves that person, helpless, while dying-you would think 8 years is a sufficient sentence?
8 years is not enough for driving from bar to bar getting plastered, and then running over a HUMAN BEING and saying “I thought it was a traffic cone”.
20 years minimum. She took someones life. Driving drunk is not an accident. She did get off easy. 8 years for killing a human being is NOTHING.
Well your emotional posts are not doing to do anything.
Eye For An Eye. Tooth For A Tooth. This Alcohol Driving Intoxicated 32 year old Girl Should Be Placed On A Bicycle And Given A Head Start. Then She Should Be Ran Down By Her Volvo Vehicle That Struck And Killed Bicycle Rider Mr. Zehan Haider. A Human Brain Is Still Alive After Ones Heart Stops Beating. And Ones Eyes Still See. Mr. Haider Laid In That Ditch And Watched Margaret Walker Drive Away Leaving Him For Dead. Eight (8) Years In Prison For This DUI Infested Girl Is A Absurd Punishment. Eye For An Eye. Tooth For A Tooth. Sentence Her To The Exact Same Death As She Caused Mr. Haiden To Experience. My Deepest Condolences And Sorrow Go Out To Mr. Haiden/ University of Florida Graduate Students Family, Friends And Loved Ones.
🌺
Margaret Caitlan Walker Committed Murder When She Struck Mr. Haiden On His Bicycle And Killed Him. Margaret Used Her Volvo Vehicle As A “Weapon”. Margaret Walker Should Be Sentenced To Death For Murder In The 1st And 2nd Degree. Weapon’s Are Weapons. Does Not Matter If The Weapon Is A Gun Or A Vehicle. Margaret ‘s Volvo Vehicle Was Not Intoxicated. Thank You. Court Adjudicated
Sentence Margaret Walker’s Volvo Vehicle To 2nd Degree Murder. The Vehicle Was Not Intoxicated. The Vehicle Had Its Faculties. Therefore, You Must Then Sentence Margaret Walker To 1st Degree Murder. Being She Is The Registered Owner Of The Volvo Vehicle. This Concludes
Margaret Walker And Volvo Vehicle/ Transportation. Zeshan Haiden And Bicycle/ Transportation. Margaret stated She Hit Metal. A Metal Street Sign. Margaret Had Enough Of Her Faculties And Judgement To Know Her Volvo Vehicle Hit Metal. WHEN The Metal Was Actually Mr. Haiden Bicycle/ Transportation/ Vehicle. Also, Margaret Had Enough Of Her Faculties To State She Reached To Adjust A Car Stereo Music Knob. Charge Department Of Transportation And Margaret Walker’s Vehicle Insurance Company With Manslaughter. Thank You/ I Stand
Mr. Zeshan Haiden University of Florida Gators Graduated Student. Live Forever.
I Dedicate Song ” Return To Innocence” By Enigma To Zeshan Haiden. Family And Friends.🌸