Rollover Crash Kills One, Injures 14 On I-75

The actions of one person can change the lives of others, sometimes tragically. That is what happened after a fatal rollover crash that happened on Tuesday that left one person is dead and an additional 15 others injured.

According to a story on the NBC Miami website, Miami Police have arrested Nisbany Surit Garcias, 30, on charges which include DUI causing serious bodily injury and DUI with damage to the property or person of another, and DUI manslaughter.

Florida Highway Patrol officials state that the accident happened at mile marker 41 in the southbound lanes of I-75. A Ford F-150 pickup truck being driven by Surit Garcias collided with a passenger van carrying 15 people from Minnesota.  The passengers inside the van included children as young as 4-years-old.

The force of the impact caused both vehicles to roll over. One of the passengers, Lauren Vanreese of Andover, Minnesota, was ejected from the van in the accident. Vanreese was pronounced dead at the scene.

Five people had to be airlifted to an area hospital for treatment while several others were treated at the scene of the crash.

Eyewitnesses told investigators that the truck had been driving erratically prior to the fatal crash. Broward County Sheriff’s deputies and other emergency personnel said that Surit Garcias appeared intoxicated, had bloodshot eyes and smelled strongly of alcohol.

Surit Garcias was transported to an area hospital for blood alcohol testing where it was determined he had a BAC level of .182 – more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Surit Garcias was arrested and is being held without bond in connection with the crash.