Valenzuela Law Firm, PA | Trial Attorney
Attorney Henry E. Valenzuela

A deadly drag race ends up with a Tampa teen charged as an adult

On Behalf of | Jun 13, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

A 17-year-old Tampa teen was arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center on May 23 after a drag racing crash that killed a young mom and her daughter. In a Hillsboro County courtroom on June 8, though, a judge decided that prosecutors will now be allowed to try him on two counts of vehicular homicide as an adult. The driver of the other car involved faces the same charges.

Witnesses to the crash reported seeing the young man driving his Nissan Altima at a fast rate of speed down Bayshore Boulevard prior to the crash. They apparently told police that he appeared to be racing the 18-year-old driver of a 2018 Ford Mustang immediately before it occurred.

The other young man that the teen was drag racing at the time was the actual first party that collided with the 24-year-old mom and her 21-month-old daughter. The woman had been pushing her child in a stroller as she lawfully crossed Bayshore at the time that they were both struck.

Emergency crews arriving at the crash scene were unable to save the young mom’s life. They transferred her daughter to the hospital, but she also passed away from her injuries the next day.

In addition to the vehicular homicide charges, both motorists will also face reckless driving and street racing charges. The Mustang driver’s 20-year-old sibling, who was riding in it as a passenger at the time of the crash, has also been charged with misdemeanor street racing as well.

The teen driver was released on bond the same day as his arraignment in adult court.

Before being let out of jail, he was ordered not to have any communication with two brothers he was racing at the time of the incident. He’s was also required to turn over both his passport and driver’s license and ordered not to leave the county without prior permission from the judge. He’s also been outfitted with ankle bracelet that can track his location at all times.

It’s unclear when the next hearing in the case is scheduled for.

If you’ve lost a loved one in a senseless crash at the hands of a negligent motorist, then a Tampa attorney can advise you of your right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against them.

Source: Tampa Bay Times, “Teen driver in fatal Bayshore Boulevard crash arrested on adult charges,” Anastasia Dawson, June 08, 2018

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