CRASH KILLED FOUR: But experts say Sean Leonard was not legally impaired
By DALE WHITE
dale. white@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA COUNTY - An autopsy report shows that the driver of an SUV that crashed in
March, killing him and three other teenagers, had alcohol and marijuana in his system at the
time of the wreck. Yet experts say the results do not indicate that Sean Leonard, 19, was legally impaired. About 5:30 a.m. on March 13, Leonard lost control of a Chevrolet TrailBlazer while driving eastbound on Wilkinson Road. The Florida Highway Patrol, which is still investigating the accident, determined that the SUV was traveling at 99 mph when Leonard failed to negotiate a curve.
The vehicle veered into an oncoming lane, jumped a curb and rolled into a concrete block wall
at Marcott Circle. Also killed were Leonard's three passengers: Andrew Monroe, 19; Kelly Janis, 15; and Leonard's sister, Jessica Leonard, 14.
Dr. Russell Vega, the medical examiner, and Dr. Wilson A. Broussard, who conducted the autopsies, were unavailable for comment Monday. Yet two independent pathologists agreed that the findings do not show that Leonard - whose alcohol level was .01 and .03 in separate tests - was legally intoxicated. Dr. Thomas W. Young, a former medical examiner in Missouri who is a forensic consultant in court cases, described Leonard's alcohol level as "very low" if it was at .01.
In Florida, a driver with a blood-alcohol level of .08 is considered intoxicated.
In Florida, where the legal drinking age is 21, state law is more strict for underage drivers.
According to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, any driver under 21 whose alcohol level is .02 or above faces a license suspension for six months. Separate tests show ''byproducts of smoking marijuana" in Leonard's blood, Young said. But the pathologist regarded the amounts of
THC, the hallucinogenic substance in marijuana, to be "not particularly meaningful" and inconclusive as to whether Leonard was high during the wreck. Marijuana byproducts can stay
in the body long after the drug was used, he said. Dr. Stephen Godfrey, also a pathologist and
court expert in Missouri, said Leonard's THC levels show "some cannabis use in the last 24 to 48 hours." Passenger Andrew Monroe,19, had a blood-alcohol level of .13; his liver also tested positive for traces of cannabis, the medical examiner's report stated. Rear-seat passenger Kelly Janis had a blood alcohol level of .05, but no traces of cannabis.
No alcohol or cannabis was found in tests of the other rear-seat passenger, Jessica Leonard.
The accident caused a wave of mourning across the region among young people and adults who
knew the four teenagers. The two girls both attended Sarasota Military Academy. Leonard and
Monroe graduated from Riverview High School in 2010. Monroe's family declined to comment Monday, noting that the FHP had previously said alcohol was not considered a factor in the crash. Calls to the Leonard and Janis homes were not returned.
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Sarasota County
May 24, 2011
Showing posts with label SUV crash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SUV crash. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
Collision kills biker on Curry Ford Road
ORANGE COUNTY
Collision kills biker on Curry Ford Road
A motorcyclist died Monday night after crashing into another vehicle on Curry Ford Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Giovanni Ocasio, 33, of Orlando, was riding a 2004 Yamaha motorcycle east about 10:02 p.m. when he struck another vehicle that was trying to cross the
eastbound lanes. Ocasio and his bike came to rest just east of the intersection with Andover Cay
Boulevard. He died at the scene. Cynthia Walker, 53, of Orlando, was driving the 2010 Hyundai SUV hit by Ocasio. She and her passenger, 74-year-old Carmen Walker of Maryville, Tenn., were not hurt, the FHP said. The crash was under investigation Tuesday.
Anika Myers Palm
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County
May 20, 2011
Collision kills biker on Curry Ford Road
A motorcyclist died Monday night after crashing into another vehicle on Curry Ford Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Giovanni Ocasio, 33, of Orlando, was riding a 2004 Yamaha motorcycle east about 10:02 p.m. when he struck another vehicle that was trying to cross the
eastbound lanes. Ocasio and his bike came to rest just east of the intersection with Andover Cay
Boulevard. He died at the scene. Cynthia Walker, 53, of Orlando, was driving the 2010 Hyundai SUV hit by Ocasio. She and her passenger, 74-year-old Carmen Walker of Maryville, Tenn., were not hurt, the FHP said. The crash was under investigation Tuesday.
Anika Myers Palm
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County
May 20, 2011
Minivan, SUV collide; four sent to hospital
MlAMl
An elderly man was seriously hurt when an accident threw him from his minivan on Sunday
afternoon, according to a spokesman for Miami Fire-Rescue. The man, who is in his 70s, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, and three other adults were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The victims' names were not released. The two-car accident happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday at Northwest 12th Avenue and 71st Street, said Lt. Ignatius Carroll. An SUV collided with the minivan, sending it skidding through a fence and onto a sports field at Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
Two children, ages 5 and 7, in the SUV were unhurt, Carroll said, because they were in car
seats. "We were surprised to see kids that age in car seats, but as a result they were able to walk
away from that accident without a scratch,'' he said.
Ariel Barkhurst
Sun Sentinel
Broward County
May 30, 2011
An elderly man was seriously hurt when an accident threw him from his minivan on Sunday
afternoon, according to a spokesman for Miami Fire-Rescue. The man, who is in his 70s, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, and three other adults were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The victims' names were not released. The two-car accident happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday at Northwest 12th Avenue and 71st Street, said Lt. Ignatius Carroll. An SUV collided with the minivan, sending it skidding through a fence and onto a sports field at Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
Two children, ages 5 and 7, in the SUV were unhurt, Carroll said, because they were in car
seats. "We were surprised to see kids that age in car seats, but as a result they were able to walk
away from that accident without a scratch,'' he said.
Ariel Barkhurst
Sun Sentinel
Broward County
May 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
"School bus hits SUV, two transported, no one on bus hurt"
SEBRING - The Florida Highway Patrol investigated a crash between a Highlands County school bus carrying more than 30 children and a Ford Explorer on Thursday afternoon. Two people in the Ford were transported to Florida Hospital Heartland, according to Lance Duvall, supervisor with the Highlands County Emergency Medical Services. "There was no mention of any injuries on the bus," he said. It was not known Friday to what extent the two were hurt. Nor have their names been released. The accident took place at about 3:39 p.m. at the intersection of Citroen Avenue and Grand Prix Drive, in Sebring, said Transportation Director David Solomon. "Our driver was cited for failure to make a proper stop," he said. Solomon said there were more than 30 children on the bus at the time, but he did not get the sheet with the exact count back from the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver has been driving for the district since 2005, he said. "We haven't completed our internal investigation yet," he said. "He will undergo further training. He feels real bad about it." for more information please visit: http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2011/mar/25/251651/LAINSIDO1-school-bus-hits-suv-two-transported-no-o/news/
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"17-year-old Bonita Springs boy dies six days after SUV crash; driver still unnamed"
A 17-year-old Bonita Springs boy has died from injuries suffered in a SUV crash last Sunday morning.
Billy Cortez died today at Lee Memorial Hospital according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The FHP reports that the identity of the driver and the other passengers who fled the scene is still pending investigation.
POSTED EARLIER
One south Lee County teenager lost his life and another is in critical condition at Lee Memorial Hospital following a vehicle accident early Sunday morning in San Carlos Park, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Fort Myers resident Edgar Salgado, 18, died and Bonita Springs resident Billy Cortez, 17, was critically injured after they were ejected during the rollover of a 2004 Suzuki sport utility vehicle packed with a total of eight individuals, according to an FHP report.
The driver, whom the agency did not name pending identification, was reported to suffer minor injuries. Three unnamed passengers fled the vehicle after the accident, the report stated.
Two other passengers suffered minor injuries in the crash, Bonita Springs residents Noe Mairena, 17, and the deceased’s brother, Alan Salgado, 15.
According to the report, the Suzuki was moving east on Winged Foot Drive near Three Oaks Parkway at 1:48 a.m. when the driver didn’t turn to follow a slight right curve in the road and drove onto a shoulder on the left side of the road.
The driver then over-corrected to the right, causing the Suzuki to rotate clockwise, overturn and eject Edgar Salgado and Cortez, who were not wearing seat belts, the report said. The crash resulted in $10,000 in damage to the vehicle, the report said.
Alan Salgado said the teens were drinking at the time of the accident, according to Edwin Negron, a family friend interviewed by NBC-2.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, two of the four passengers identified in the report have been arrested on felony charges in the past.
Edgar Salgado was arrested on a felony burglary charge on Feb. 26, 2010, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Mairena has been arrested on 13 different felony counts between June 2007 and September 2008, including six counts of felony burglary, three counts of felony larceny, two counts of theft of a firearm, and two counts of dealing in stolen property, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office Spokesman John Sheehan said information concerning any misdemeanor arrests of juveniles can not be released.
Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to contact Cpl. Steven Devore of the Florida Highway Patrol at 239-354-2377, ext 111
for more information please visit: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/12/billy-cortez-edgar-salgado-south-fort-myers-high/
Billy Cortez died today at Lee Memorial Hospital according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The FHP reports that the identity of the driver and the other passengers who fled the scene is still pending investigation.
POSTED EARLIER
One south Lee County teenager lost his life and another is in critical condition at Lee Memorial Hospital following a vehicle accident early Sunday morning in San Carlos Park, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Fort Myers resident Edgar Salgado, 18, died and Bonita Springs resident Billy Cortez, 17, was critically injured after they were ejected during the rollover of a 2004 Suzuki sport utility vehicle packed with a total of eight individuals, according to an FHP report.
The driver, whom the agency did not name pending identification, was reported to suffer minor injuries. Three unnamed passengers fled the vehicle after the accident, the report stated.
Two other passengers suffered minor injuries in the crash, Bonita Springs residents Noe Mairena, 17, and the deceased’s brother, Alan Salgado, 15.
According to the report, the Suzuki was moving east on Winged Foot Drive near Three Oaks Parkway at 1:48 a.m. when the driver didn’t turn to follow a slight right curve in the road and drove onto a shoulder on the left side of the road.
The driver then over-corrected to the right, causing the Suzuki to rotate clockwise, overturn and eject Edgar Salgado and Cortez, who were not wearing seat belts, the report said. The crash resulted in $10,000 in damage to the vehicle, the report said.
Alan Salgado said the teens were drinking at the time of the accident, according to Edwin Negron, a family friend interviewed by NBC-2.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, two of the four passengers identified in the report have been arrested on felony charges in the past.
Edgar Salgado was arrested on a felony burglary charge on Feb. 26, 2010, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Mairena has been arrested on 13 different felony counts between June 2007 and September 2008, including six counts of felony burglary, three counts of felony larceny, two counts of theft of a firearm, and two counts of dealing in stolen property, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office Spokesman John Sheehan said information concerning any misdemeanor arrests of juveniles can not be released.
Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to contact Cpl. Steven Devore of the Florida Highway Patrol at 239-354-2377, ext 111
for more information please visit: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/12/billy-cortez-edgar-salgado-south-fort-myers-high/
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