Witness recalls horror of Tesla crash that killed teens

Larry Groshart was waiting in his Fort Lauderdale driveway for a friend to arrive when he saw a Tesla sedan crash into walls that frame his neighbor’s entrance gate.

The collision Tuesday night would leave two young men dead in the fiery wreck, a third man hospitalized and prompt a federal investigation into the crash and the electric car the three were riding in.

“I heard the tires squealing and saw the vehicle hit and sideswipe the first wall,” Groshart said Thursday about the crash at 1313 Seabreeze Blvd. “I saw it hit the second wall, a rounded wall, and saw it immediately burst into flames.”

The force of the crash left a vertical gash in the high white wall. The 2014 gray Tesla Model S sedan lost two wheels as it continued traveling about 200 feet southeast across five lanes to the other side of the boulevard, Groshart said.

“It was burning the entire time,” the retiree said. “It hit the lamppost, destroyed the lamppost and continued burning.”

Inside the sedan were driver Barrett Riley, of Fort Lauderdale, and front-seat passenger Edgar Monserratt Martinez, of Aventura, both 18, and who died at the scene, police said. Ejected from the Tesla was Alexander Berry, 18, of Fort Lauderdale, who remained hospitalized and in fair condition Thursday.

Skid marks, bouquets and pink investigator’s paint marked the walls where the crash began.

The sidewalk and gutter where it ended were scorched from the fire and littered with burned and broken car parts.

“The fire was big enough that I couldn’t really tell [where it began],” Groshart said. “The flames followed the car as it crossed the lanes. It was an unusual-looking flame because there was no smoke. Just big, red orange flames.”

Groshart said he called 911 right away.

“Onlookers were trying to get to the car to help them,” Groshart said. “They couldn’t get closer than about 10 feet. One was standing in the middle of the street screaming an obscenity over and over and over, because he was so frustrated.”

He said a police officer arrived quickly and pulled a small fire extinguisher from his car that Groshart said was useless against the blaze, which firefighters eventually put out.

Groshart said it was “a miracle” that no one else was killed or crashed into. The boulevard, also known as A1A, is fed from the south by Southeast 17th Street and travels along the barrier island and the beach. It is busy with walkers and bicyclists, too.

Fort Lauderdale Police said excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash where the posted speed limit is 30 mph. A detective could not say how fast the car was going, where the fire began on the car or what caused it. Traffic homicide investigators may take months to complete their investigation.

Riley was cited for speeding in March; it was his first offense. On a Saturday night, a Broward Sheriffs’ deputy used radar to track a gray 2014 Tesla sedan traveling at 112 mph in a 50 mph zone near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the citation.

Riley had three other young adults in the car with him when it was pulled over on South Federal Highway near the Terminal Drive ramp, the March 3 ticket said.

Riley also was cited for unlawful speed. A hearing officer on April 6 dismissed the unlawful speed violation, when Riley pleaded no contest to the speeding charge. Adjudication was withheld. Riley was ordered to attend eight hours of aggressive driving classes and pay $590 in court costs, court documents show.

His lawyer in that case could not be reached for comment.

Riley and Martinez were close friends and were seniors at the Pine Crest School, a school spokeswoman said. They had graduation on May 24 to look forward to, and college in the fall.

Berry, who survived the crash, is the son of Julie Berry, a corporate real estate executive and senior vice president at Stiles Corporation.

Riley is one of seven children of James and Jenny Riley.

James Riley founded Learn.com and sold it in 2010 for $125 million, according to a Nov. 14, 2015 story in South Florida Business Journal. He then cofounded a cloud-based electronic health record system company for hospitals called iCare.com, the report said.

Fort Lauderdale police ask anyone who may have witnessed Tuesday’s crash or who has video of it to contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Paul Williams at 954-828-5755.

Groshart