Brazilian man cited in fatal Fla. crash
4 members of Mass. family were killed
The 26-year-old man who plowed his truck into a van last month on a Florida highway near Walt Disney World, killing four members of a Massachusetts family, was issued a ticket and is being held on a visa violation, the Florida Highway Patrol said Monday.
Lucas Dos Reis Laurindo, a Brazilian native who was living in Kissimmee, Fla., was taken into custody by federal law enforcement for a visa violation on Feb. 28, 10 days after the crash that killed Josephine Fay, 76, of South Weymouth; her daughter, Julie Smith, 41, of Whitman; and two of her children: 11-year-old Jackson Smith and his 5-year-old sister, Scarlett Smith, said Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Kim Montes.
Dos Reis Laurindo was issued a ticket charging him with careless driving, which is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or community service, Montes said.
“I know that sounds so minimal for four lives lost,” Montes said. “We looked for everything and found that the crash was 100% caused by him. But as graphic and horrific as it was, under Florida law, that’s the most we could give him.”
Dos Reis Laurindo was driving a 2016 Ram 3500 truck at 5:29 p.m. on Feb. 18 on State Road 429 in Osceola County near Disney World when traffic slowed due to congestion and he failed to brake, she said.
The truck plowed at full speed into the back of a 2020 Toyota Sienna van carrying the victims, causing it to overturn, Montes said. Two other vehicles also were struck after the initial collision, she said, but neither Dos Reis Laurindo nor those drivers were injured. Julie Smith, Scarlett Smith and Josephine Fay were pronounced dead at the scene, Montes said. Jackson Smith died the next day at the hospital.
Dos Reis Laurindo is being held at the Glades County jail. Under Florida law, there is a mandatory court appearance for the carelessdriving violation. A court date has not yet been set.
Days after the crash, the Whitman Youth Soccer League held a candlelight vigil for the family of Jackson, one of its players, at Whitman Middle School.
Jackson initially was pronounced dead at the scene, Montes said, but first responders found a heartbeat and rushed him to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, where he remained on life support until he succumbed to his injuries.
Four other family members, including Scarlett’s twin sister, also were in the van and were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries, officials said.