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Earlier this week, two young teens were killed as they tried to help a friend push her disabled vehicle to safety on Pembroke Road in Miramar. According to one local news source, the two teens had been dating for a year and had recently discussed plans to get married.

Evidently, the fatal accident took place at around one in the morning near the west side of Interstate 75. Apparently, the two teens received a call from a friend whose SUV had broken down on the highway. Along with several others, the two teens helped push the disabled vehicle about 20 blocks before it was struck on the driver’s rear side by a passing vehicle.

The driver of that vehicle told police that she could not see the SUV until she was right behind it. Evidence from the accident scene suggests that the driver swerved in a last-minute attempt to avoid the collision. There are contradicting reports as to whether the SUV’s lights were on immediately prior to the accident. The teens pushing the vehicle claim the lights were on, and the woman who struck the vehicle claims they were not on. She also suggested that if they were on, perhaps the bodies of the teens pushing the vehicle covered them up. The road is otherwise dark and not lit with streetlights in that area.

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Earlier this year, a 20-year-old woman was convicted of DUI manslaughter after killing two teens. Shortly before the fatal accident, the woman tweeted “2 drunk 2 care” to her boyfriend. The judge hearing the case sentenced her to 24 years in prison, in part due to the callousness of her behavior. However, according to one local Florida news source, sentences handed down for DUI manslaughter are not often this severe, and they vary widely depending on a number of circumstances.

Another example mentioned in the article presents the other end of the spectrum. A single mother of two who suffered a history of domestic violence was sentenced to just four years in jail after she hit and killed a pedestrian while she was out on bail for a DUI manslaughter charge. To make matters worse, she allegedly fled the scene of the second accident before getting caught. However, the judge was swayed by the equities in the case and was lenient on the woman.

One final example was of a professional NFL player who hit and killed a pedestrian in a drunk driving accident. The pedestrian was not in the crosswalk at the time of the accident, which created some uncertainty as to whether the driver would ultimately be convicted. The NFL player was convicted but sentenced to just 30 days in jail and a lengthy period of probation. It later came out that the accident victim’s family was in favor of the deal and had received an undisclosed settlement from the drunk driver.

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Earlier this month, a Tamarac man was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide for his role in a fatal accident that claimed the life of his passenger. According to one local news source, the district attorney’s recent decision to file charges was after an eight-month investigation.

Evidently, the man was driving a black 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe with one passenger, a 21-year-old woman, when he lost control of the vehicle. Upon losing control, the car slid off the roadway and wrapped around a nearby utility pole. Both the driver and the passenger were trapped inside, where they remained until emergency responders were able to free them. After they were taken out of the vehicle, both were taken to the hospital. Sadly, the passenger was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival. The driver survived.

Police conducted a roadside sobriety check on the driver, who passed. However, police believed that there was more to the story and initiated an in-depth investigation as to the cause of the accident. As it turns out, evidence suggested that the vehicle was traveling 77 miles per hour in the moments preceding the accident. The speed limit on that stretch of road was 35 miles per hour.

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Earlier this month in Palm Beach County, one man was killed and another injured in a motorcycle accident involving two bikes. According to one local news source, the accident occurred just before midnight on a Thursday evening as the two men were on their way home to Broward County from a dinner celebrating one of the riders’ birthdays.

Evidently, one of the motorcyclists lost control of his bike on Interstate 95 just north of Yamato Road. As that rider slid out of control, the other rider who was riding next to him also lost control as he tried to avoid the fallen bike on the highway. Both bikes slid for several hundred feet before coming to a complete stop.

The rider who first fell off of his bike was pronounced dead by emergency workers on the scene. The other rider was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he was admitted with serious injuries. As of the most recent report, he is in stable condition and is expected to fully recover after surgery and physical therapy. Both riders were wearing helmets.

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Last week in Coral Springs, one Plantation man was arrested after he ran into several cars, allegedly while under the influence of alcohol. According to one local news report, the accident occurred late on Sunday night at the 1600 block of NW 102 Way.

Evidently, one of the man’s relatives attempted to stop him from getting behind the wheel that night, but the driver insisted. Not long after he drove off in his Maserati, he ended up crashing into two parked cars that were in a driveway. Ultimately, the man’s vehicle came to rest with one of the cars partially resting atop his Maserati. The other vehicle he hit was pushed into a nearby utility pole.

Thankfully, no one was in either car, and the driver sustained only minor cuts and bruises. He declined medical treatment and also refused a blood test. However, during a hospital interview, he admitted to drinking two beers and taking one shot of vodka in the minutes preceding the accident.  He also told officers that he thought he hit a mailbox, but he doesn’t remember hitting any cars.

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Last week in southern Florida, one man was killed and two others were injured in a two-motorcycle accident that also involved a car. According to one local news report, the car attempted to stop but was unable to do so and struck one of the riders. The accident took place around four in the morning between Miami Gardens Drive and Ives Dairy Road.

Evidently, two motorcycles were riding side by side on I-95 South when they collided with each other. Both of the riders were thrown from their bikes and landed on the highway. A passing car attempted to avoid the collision, but it ran over some of the shrapnel from the wreck and then ran over one rider’s legs. That rider was later pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by emergency workers. The other rider sustained serious injuries and was admitted into Aventura Trauma Center in critical condition. He is expected to recover.

The cause of the fatal motorcycle accident is still under investigation. Charges have not been filed against any of the parties involved at this point, but that may change as the police conclude the investigation.

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Earlier this month in Coral Springs, one man was killed and another injured in an accident between a motorcycle and a car. According to one local news source, the accident occurred just after two in the afternoon on the 6600 block of West Atlantic Boulevard.

Evidently, the force of the crash not only caused the motorcycle to lose control, but the car ended up flipping over and landing on top of the motorcycle. When emergency responders showed up, they needed to support the car as they rolled it over, freeing the driver.

The driver of the car was taken to Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach with minor injuries and is expected to recover from his injuries. Sadly, the driver of the motorcycle was not so lucky and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told reporters that the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the fatal accident.

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Towards the end of last month, a fatal accident in Pembroke Pines took the lives of two people and injured several others when a semi-truck pulled out in front of a Mitsubishi, causing a chain-reaction accident. According to one local news source, the accident occurred a bit before midnight in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75.

Evidently, a semi-truck loaded with a concrete barrier was pulling out of a construction site and onto the highway when it was hit by the Mitsubishi. The Mitsubishi slid under the truck, ripping off the roof of the car. After the initial collision, a BMW crashed into the back of the disabled semi-truck, causing part of the truck’s load to come free. As the barrier slid off the truck, it landed on top of the BMW.

Another semi-truck was the fourth vehicle to become involved in the accident, when it was unable to stop in time to avoid colliding with the concrete barrier that had fallen from the truck.

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Earlier this month in Martin County, a volunteer football coach was killed in an early-morning accident. According to one local news report, the accident occurred just before five in the morning on the 10000 block of Southwest Pratt-Whitney Road.

Evidently, the coach was heading southbound on Pratt-Whitney Road when another vehicle traveling the wrong way collided with the coach’s vehicle, hitting him head-on. The coach was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by emergency workers. The driver of the other vehicle was also injured, although he survived the initial collision and was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Investigators told reporters that the coach was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident, but the other driver was not.

Police are currently in the midst of a homicide investigation and have not yet released their findings. Criminal charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

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Laura Callava, a graduate from the University of Miami School of Law, has joined Cecere Santana as an associate attorney. Ms. Callava joins the legal team handling cases relating to personal injury, automobile accidents, Workers’ Compensation and PIP.

Throughout her time at the University of Miami, Ms. Callava was an active member of Miami Law Women, the Hispanic Law Student Association, and Miami Law Ambassadors. She also helped organize and participate in Miami Law’s Dean’s Cup competition. In her third year of law school she was selected to participate in the international Law Without Walls program and since graduation has continued to be involved in the program as a mentor.

Prior to law school, Ms. Callava earned her undergraduate degree in International Studies from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. At Emory, she was a student-athlete as a member of the tennis team and was a representative in the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. During her final season, she was named to the All-Academic Team by the University Athletic Association and was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as a Scholar Athlete.

Contact Information
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Phone: (954) 653-9969
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