Suspect arrested in a Florida hit-and-run that killed 2 children and injured 4 others, investigators say
By Jennifer Henderson and Sharif Paget, CNN
The driver suspected in a hit-and-run in Florida that killed two children and injured four others was arrested Tuesday, authorities said.
Sean Charles Greer, 27, faces multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident involving death and leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury as well as evidence tampering and driving with a suspended license, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a news release.
“Greer confessed to his involvement in the crash,” the release said. He was booked into jail Tuesday evening, records show, and no attorney was listed for him.
The fatal crash occurred Monday shortly before 3 p.m. in Wilton Manors, a city just north of Fort Lauderdale in South Florida.
According to a preliminary investigation, a man driving a 2009 Honda Accord failed to allow a bus in front of him to merge back into a lane. The driver passed the bus, almost hitting the front driver’s side, and then veered right off the road and onto the sidewalk, striking multiple children, according to authorities.
The driver then sped up and fled the area, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle believed to be involved was later located and had damage that was consistent with the crash.
Two children, Andrea Fleming, 6, and Kylie Jones, 5, were pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. Four children were hospitalized: Draya Fleming, 9; Johnathan Carter, 10; Laziyah Stokes, 9; and Audre Fleming, 2.
Stephen Gollan, battalion chief at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, said at a news conference Monday that some of the injuries were critical. He called the crash a “horrific event.”
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Wilton Manors Police officers and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the scene. Gollan said there were people providing aid at the scene before emergency crews arrived.
Aerial footage from CNN affiliate WPLG showed the incident occurred on a four-lane road with a separated bike lane to the right. The scene appeared to be outside an apartment building and near a 40 mph speed limit sign, video from the ground showed.
The video also shows a pedestrian crossing within the area marked off by police tape.
Of all states, Florida has the second-highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country, behind New Mexico, according to 2019 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed to this report.
