PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A Valentine’s Day crash in Pembroke Pines that left a woman dead and several teenagers injured is under investigation, with police saying speeding was a factor.
Students at West Broward High School say some of their classmates were involved in the two-vehicle crash, which happened on Dykes Road near the Towngate neighborhood.
Cellphone video from the scene showed the wreckage of the mangled cars.
Collin Rivera, a student, described the impact on the community.
“It’s very devastating for everybody involved,” he said.
According to police, one of the vehicles was driven by an older man. His wife, a woman in her 70s, was a passenger.
People who knew the victims say they were a married couple from Colombia, and the wife was killed in the crash. The husband was badly injured.
Witnesses say the second car was driven by a teenage boy.
It’s unclear how many passengers were inside, but students at West Broward High said there were two or three other teens in the vehicle.
Luigi Prezzi, another student, said he was shocked when he learned about the crash.
“When I heard about it, I was like, I hope he’s OK. I hope he’s alive actually,” Prezzi said.
Paramedics transported the teenagers to the hospital.
“This kid has a fractured arm. And then some other kid almost got paralyzed,” one student said.
Prezzi added, “One of the dudes, I think, broke his arm, the other one fractured his shin area.”
Rivera said the community is hoping for the best.
“People heard one of the kids involved was paralyzed, and we’re just praying,” he said.
At the crash scene, flowers and stuffed animals now mark the site of the tragedy.
“It’s just sad. It’s real sad,” a student said.
Police have not announced any arrests as of Tuesday, but they said criminal charges could be filed as the investigation continues.