Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Drivers, passengers hurt in unrelated Pines crashes
Two young drivers were hospitalized after unrelated crashes in Pembroke Pines that police are investigating for excessive speeds.
As midnight approached Monday, Natalia Cano, 21, of Hollywood was behind the wheel of a Honda Civic that was traveling north on Palm Avenue, north of Taft Street.
Cano lost control of the Honda, it spun off the road and became wrapped around a tree, Pembroke Pines Sgt. Adam Feiner said.
Photographs released by Police Department show the front end of the Honda separated from the rest of the car’s body.
Cano and passenger Blake Metz, 20, also of Hollywood, are in critical condition at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, the agency said Tuesday.
About three hours later and four miles southwest, Justin Laughton-Simpson, 22, of Pembroke Pines was driving a Honda Accord west along the 16900 block of Southwest 16th Street.
Laughton-Simpson lost control, drove the Honda across the oncoming traffic lane and crashed into a tree, Feiner said.
The collision happened in the Lido Isles community, north of Pembroke Road and east of Southwest 172nd Avenue.
Laughton-Simpson had serious injuries when he was to taken Memorial Regional Hospital after the 2:50 a.m. crash Tuesday, police said.
His passengers — Jasmine Witherspoon, 18, Christopher Soto, 22, and Antonio Ramirez, 20, all from Miramar — were treated at the scene and released, police said.
Feiner, who investigates traffic homicides, said, "The law enforcement community recognizes that during the summer months, younger drivers typically stay out later and likely participate in social events. We hope that if anybody is drinking alcohol that they use a designated driver.
"As drivers gain experience, they understand the consequences of reckless driving," Feiner said. "The most vulnerable and inexperienced drivers usually take the most risks. We urge all drivers to be safe when they are behind the wheel and to not drive while distracted."