POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A Broward Sheriff’s Office investigation has determined that excessive speed led to a violent June crash in Pompano Beach that killed two St. Thomas Aquinas High School students and injured three others.
According to a newly released report from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, 16-year-old Jayden Vico was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA more than twice the 35 mph speed limit when he collided with another vehicle at the intersection of West Copans Road and Leisure Boulevard around 7:50 p.m. on June 20.
Detectives said Vico’s Mercedes was traveling between 69 and 76 mph at the time of impact. The investigation found no signs of impairment or mechanical failure.
The report states that an 82-year-old driver in a Toyota Sienna was turning left onto Copans Road when Vico’s westbound Mercedes struck the minivan, causing the car to roll onto its side and slide into the eastbound lanes.
The Mercedes then hit a Lexus RX 350 before debris struck a nearby Toyota RAV4.
Vico, a St. Thomas Aquinas student, was pronounced dead at the scene. Four of his classmates — all 17 years old — were also inside the Mercedes. They were taken to Broward Health North with serious injuries.
One passenger, 17-year-old Richie Grable, later died from traumatic brain injuries sustained in the crash. Grable, also a student at St. Thomas, was remembered by friends as a kind teammate and youth pastor.
The other passengers, identifiedd as Tomas Brown, Aiden Finkel and Ryan Bradley, were hospitalized.
The drivers of the other vehicles, including the Sienna and RAV4, were not hurt and stayed on scene.
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