FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A day after a fatal crash on a Broward County interstate, investigators identified the driver who was struck and killed.
Family members of Marie Claude Andris said she was killed on I-595 following a chain-reaction crash.
The 47-year-old leaves behind six children.
Through tears, Rodney Louidor, a former partner and father of two of Andris’ children, said she was a kind person and a good mother.
“To me, it feels sad. It’s a sad way to die, Louidor said.
It was just after 6 a.m. Wednesday when Florida Highway Patrol began receiving reports of a disabled silver Nissan on the inside shoulder of Interstate 595. The call, however, would quickly change after they learned that the vehicle was struck by a passing driver causing a chain-reaction crash between the Nissan, a blue Chevrolet, and a tractor-trailer.
FHP said Andris who was the driver of the car pulled over on the shoulder, and, at some point exited the vehicle. That was when she was struck and killed.
“She was outside of the vehicle when this happened,” said Indiana Miranda, a lieutenant with FHP. “It is unknown if she was trying to pump gas or check out her vehicle (or) what was going on but she was outside at the time. Our troopers actually arrived on scene with fire rescue and pronounced one female deceased,” said Miranda.
First responders then discovered the four-year-old boy inside the car. He was transported with minor injuries, according to FHP.
This boy was one of Andris’ children.
“When I see him, I’m like, ‘how are you doing?’ And he’s like, ‘oh my mommy died. I seen my mom die, she was shaking.’ And I’m like, wow. Imagine, he’s going to grow up with that memory in his mind,” Louidor said.
Andris’ father a former Haitian Senator, Andris Riche, said they had plans to see each other this fall.
Now he’s planning a visit to the United States for her funeral.
“I had an appointment with her and unfortunately I didn’t make the trip and she already died. It was very bad news for me because she is my first daughter,” Riche said.
Miranda has a message for drivers.
“We ask that they remain seated in their vehicles with their seatbelts on, with their hazard lights on and contact 911 or *347. We have our rangers patrolling the area and we can have a wrecker remove your vehicle from there,” she said.
As for other drivers, if you spot a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of the road, FHP asks that you move over a lane. If that isn’t possible, at least slow down, they say.