Six teenagers were walking home from Miami Springs High when one was killed and three others were injured after being hit by an SUV. The fatal accident occurred on Jan. 20 near West Ninth Street and First Avenue. According to Hialeah police, the driver of the Ford Expedition had suffered from a medical incident, causing the 42-year-old to lose control of his vehicle.
One of the classmates with the students at the time of the accident explained that the vehicle came out of nowhere as they were crossing the street. The classmate attempted to warn his friends about the vehicle traveling westbound on Ninth Street, but four of students were hit. After plowing into the group of teens, the SUV continued traveling westbound, hitting several vehicles before coming to a stop after crashing into an apartment complex.
A 16-year-old boy was instantly killed in the accident. The three others struck by the vehicle were airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. So far, the three teens injured are still alive. One girl remains on life support, a boy was taken off of life support and listed in critical condition and the third teen injured has been listed in stable condition.
Last week’s pedestrian accident is still under investigation, and teens in the Hialeah community have been devastated by the tragedy. Authorities are uncertain as to what caused the medical emergency, and the driver has currently not been charged in the incident. The remaining three students injured continue to fight for their lives, and Miami Springs High has made counselors available to students, teachers and family members affected by the death of the 16-year-old boy. Many have reflected on the teen’s love of basketball and his sense of humor.
Source:The Miami Herald: “Hialeah crash that killed teen rocks community,” Laura Isensee and Adam H. Beasley, 21 Jan. 2011