Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
A driver who allegedly killed five people in a horrific drunk-driving crash on Interstate 95 in North Miami-Dade more than two years ago remains a fugitive. Despite the fact that Carlos Lacayo remains on the run, a civil jury last week awarded over $15 million in damages to one of the victim’s parents. The lawyer for that family, Edward Blumberg, stated that Lacayo “couldn’t run away from the civil justice system.” The jury deliberated for only three hours last Thursday before it reached a decision in the wrongful death case.
According to documents presented throughout the case, Lacayo was operating his mother’s gray 2010 Honda Accord on March 5, 2011, not long before 5 a.m. on Interstate 95 around Northwest 103rd Street. This is when he crashed the car into a crowd of motorists located on the shoulder of the highway. These motorists were located on the shoulder because they had just been involved in a number of minor accidents that began when one car hit a stalled vehicle located in the emergency lane. Seven cars in total were involved. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Lacayo swerved from the express lane, smashed into the concrete barrier, and collided with the crowd of motorists.
Four people were killed instantly when Lacayo plowed through the crowd: Emerson Kastenholz, Antuan Fernandez Perez, Evidia Rodriguez, and Mirtha Queipo. A fifth victim, Ana Belkis Gomez, was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead five days later. Lacayo’s blood alcohol content was said to be 0.127 four hours after the crash. An arrest warrant was later issued for Lacayo, charging him with five counts of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. However, Lacayo had vanished by that time and remains missing.
Miami-Dade jury awards $15 million to family in quintuple-death traffic death, www.miamiherald.com December 13, 2013
Drivers are often traveling at high speeds on highways, as the speed limit is much greater than that on city streets. This speed, mixed with intoxicants like alcohol or drugs, can all too often prove to be deadly. When a driver loses the ability to fully control his vehicle, other drivers, passengers, and bystanders can suffer devastating injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, and even death. The North Miami automobile accident attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping car accident victims who have suffered serious injuries. The Coral Gables wrongful death attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona have spent over twenty years working to help families recover compensation for the loss of their loved ones. If you have sustained serious injuries or someone you love has died as a result of an automobile accident, call (305) 661-2008 for your free consultation today!
The Miami personal injury attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of car accident cases throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and construction site injuries. Call the Miami personal injury attorneys today and let our family take care of your family!