Incident caused by 15-year-old claims three children and their grandmother
Poinciana mother Sabrina Hernandez said that while she has forgiveness in her heart for the teenager who caused a traffic accident Sunday night that claimed the lives of her children and mother, her heart — and now her home — are empty.
Florida Highway Patrol reported the deadly crash occurred just before 7 p.m. Sunday when a Chevrolet Impala driven at a high rate of speed by a 15-year-old Kissimmee male ran a stop sign on northbound on Laurel Avenue at San Miguel Street, the boundary of Villages 1 and 2.
According to the crash report, the Impala struck the driver’s side of a Honda HR-V headed westbound on San Miguel, which contained Hernandez’s parents and her 1, 9-and 11-year old children. The impact sent the Honda onto the grass shoulder, where it collided with a light pole. The crash caused a roadblock at Laurel and San Miguel for much of Sunday evening.
Her 50-year-old mother Trinidad Hernandez, who was at the wheel of the Honda, and 9-year-old Marvin Cruz were pronounced deceased on the scene. The two other children, 11-year-old Miley Cruz and 1-year-old Anayari Hernandez were transported to HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital, where they later died. Hernandez’s 52-year old father, Angel Hernandez, was transported to HCA Florida Osceola Hospital with serious injuries, and was still in care as deadline approached for this issue.
The teenage Impala driver was also transported to HCA Florida Osceola Hospital with serious injuries. Three other 15-year-old male passengers were transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A GoFundMe account set up to help Hernandez and her family through this trying time has been set up; it has raised over $66,000 as of Wednesday morning.
It is unclear if, or what, charges will be filed against the teenage driver, who FHP reports did not have a valid lerner's permit to be driving. Even if he had, Florida law states a licensed driver 21 or older must always accompany a 15-year-old driver with a Learner’s License. That law, and enforcement at signed intersections, is lacking in the area, a grieving Hernandez said at a community vigil held for the family on Monday.
“Are we not worth it in Poinciana, do we not count?” she asked. “I will not stop until I get justice for my family. (The driver) got to wake up and see his family and I didn’t.”
