Photo Courtesy Of Florida Highway Patrol
A Florida man reportedly killed five people in a wrong-way crash, and records show that he previously had nine traffic violations.
According to reports, Maiky Simeon allegedly crashed into five individuals identified as Briana Pacalagua, Daniela Marcano, Valeria Peña, Giancarlos Arias and Valeria Caceres while driving on the opposite side of the Palmetto Expressway. When police arrived at the scene in Miami Gardens on Aug. 20, all the victims were pronounced dead.
On the other hand, Simeon was pulled from his vehicle by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was in critical condition. Officials said that he was also arrested and charged with five counts of vehicular homicide.
“Mr. Simeon has been arrested and charged with five counts of Vehicular Homicide,” Florida Highway Patrol announced. “Troopers are awaiting the results of a toxicology report to determine if impairment was a contributing factor. If it is determined that Mr. Simeon was impaired at the time of the crash, additional charges will be filed.”
Officials added Simeon is currently being monitored at the hospital and will be brought to jail and prosecuted after he’s discharged.
The Miami Herald reported that the 30-year-old man hasn’t had a valid driver’s license since 2014 due to a ticket he received for driving up to 109 mph. However, an email from the Florida Highway Patrol said he had a valid license when he was arrested. Nevertheless, Simeon’s record indicates that he still owes a $1,070.38 traffic fine for violations to Collier County and Miami-Dade County.
Additionally, online records show that the Florida man has been subject to nine traffic violations since 2013 for speeding, failing to yield at an intersection and running red lights. He was reportedly only declared guilty for four of those tickets.
The crash victim’s families have reportedly created GoFundMe accounts for each of them to cover funeral expenses. One of them, Arias, was headed to New York University when the accident and the group of friends were celebrating his scholarship.