‘He changed my life forever’

Arrest made in June crash that killed 11-year-old boy and driver

On June 12, Carlos Hunter Sr. lost his only son and both of his legs.

He and his 11-year-old son, Carlos Hunter Jr., were heading home in the 800 block of East Hallandale Beach Boulevard about 1 a.m. when they saw a disabled Jeep and pulled over to help. He, his son and the Jeep driver were hit by another driver, killing Hunter Jr. and the Jeep driver and leaving Hunter Sr. with life-altering injuries.

Thomas Daniel Hye, 43, was arrested Thursday on 13 charges stemming from the deadly crash, including DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and several counts of reckless driving, Broward County jail records show. Capt. Megan Jones, a spokesperson for Hallandale Beach Police, said Hye stayed at the scene of the crash that morning.

The name of the Jeep driver who was killed is withheld under Marsy’s Law, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that protects the identities of crime victims.

A fourth person, whose name is also withheld under Marsy’s Law, was hospitalized in the crash.

Hunter Sr. said he has no memory from the night of the crash. His family had to recount to him what happened with information they received from police. Hunter Sr., who worked as a delivery driver, and his son were heading home that night after finishing one last trip. He’d split the money he made with his son.

They saw the disabled Jeep, and Hunter Sr. said he parked his car near a Verizon store and ran to help push.

“He loved to help anyone. Anyone. So the way it happened with the accident, that’s what we used to do. We used to help. It’s in our nature to help,” Hunter Sr. said.

Hunter Sr. said he spent nearly three months in various South Florida hospitals and underwent 16 surgeries, nine of them on his legs. Both of his legs were amputated.

The pain from that night still lasts, Hunter Sr. said, both physical and emotional. His body swells, his fingers are numb, and he is still waiting for his prosthetic legs.

He remembered that while in the hospital, he at first didn’t realize he lost his legs.

He wrote on a dry-erase board to communicate with his family while in the hospital, unable to talk.

“The only way I realized that my legs were gone was because my left leg started itching, and when I went to scratch it, it wasn’t there anymore,” he said.

Hunter Sr. said his family has helped him remain optimistic and encourages him on the difficult days. His two daughters, 10 and 13 years old, “are feeling the same type of pain.”

“They don’t feel the leg pain, but their brother, he’s gone ...”

Hunter Jr. played in the school band, loved to help his parents in any task and was “smart in school and out of school,” his father said. He would have turned 12 years old on Aug. 26. His family

released balloons in his memory.

“That guy, he changed my life forever ... Me and my son was always together. I don’t have that anymore ... Every night I cry about my son,” Hunter Sr. said.

Broward County court records show Hye has been issued nine traffic citations in the past 10

years, including for speeding, failing to use due care, driving with a suspended license without knowledge and red-light violations.

“If he was already taken away from driving, my son would still be here right now,” Hunter Sr. said.

FILE Carlos Hunter Jr., 11, and Carlos Hunter Sr., 33, were hit by a driver on East Hallandale Beach Boulevard on June 12. Hunter Jr. was killed, along with the driver of a disabled Jeep he and his father were helping.

Hye