JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than a year after 23-year-old Gavin Carter was killed while trying to help a driver on I-10 in Jacksonville, the man accused in his death has pleaded guilty in court.

On August 21, 25-year-old Dante Lawrence entered a guilty plea to leaving the scene of a fatal crash without rendering aid.

Carter’s family said they’ve waited over a year for accountability — and while the guilty plea brings some relief, they’re now hoping the upcoming sentencing will reflect the depth of their loss.

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“It was nice to hear, but not in the way he said it,” said Carter’s grandmother, Cynthia Carter Ross, speaking about Lawrence’s plea.

“It was like a convenience. I’m guilty because they know they can prove it.”

The crash occurred in 2024 along Interstate 10 near McDuff Avenue. Florida Highway Patrol investigators say Carter stopped to help a driver who had crashed into a barrier and overturned. While helping at the scene, he was struck and killed by another vehicle.

Authorities later identified the driver as Dante Lawrence, who fled the scene on foot. It took nearly ten months for investigators to arrest him.

“He had 287 days to come forward,” Ross said.

“Even if he was in shock or scared the night it happened… 287 days to say, ‘I am so sorry for what I did.’”

Cynthia Carter Ross says her only comfort over the last year has been a memorial bench placed in her yard in memory of Gavin.

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“I sit here when I wanna talk to Gavin,” she said.

“It says, ‘Come sit with me. It’ll be all right. I’m not gone. I’m in your heart.’ In memory of my brother and my friend.”

The family said they plan to attend Lawrence’s sentencing date, which is scheduled for September 29.

Gavin’s mother, Dawn Carter, said she’s deeply concerned about the possibility of a lenient sentence.

“It’s gonna break my heart if this man gets 21 months in jail,” she told Action News Jax.

As Lawrence awaits sentencing, the Carter family hopes the court holds him fully accountable. They also hope Gavin’s story serves as a reminder of both the courage it takes to help others — and the tragedy that can follow.

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