CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - Coral Springs Elementary School students, co-workers and friends are mourning the loss of a teacher who was killed by a driver who ran a red light.
After hearing the news about 53-year-old Christianne Weiner, those who knew her are struggling to come to grips with her tragic death.
Police said a teenager was behind the wheel of a stolen car that crashed into Weiner’s Mercedes-Benz as she drove through the intersection at Sample Road and Northwest 101st Avenue, Tuesday.
Weiner and her 11-year-old son were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. Her son was transported to the hospital. Weiner died at the hospital.
Fellow teachers remembered the woman who taught fourth-graders and impacted many more. “She was a great teacher. Students would leave her class knowing that they would be successful in the fifth grade because they succeeded her in the fourth grade,” said Mary Gomes, a parent of one of Weiner’s former students. “She was great.”
Many described Weiner as loving and selfless. She was also a longtime educator at Coral Springs Elementary and was honored as Teacher of the Year, from 2012 to 2013. “She was just always there for everyone,” said Sabrina Gomes, who knew Weiner. “I remember she’s always had this bright personality, and it’s just sad that she’s gone.”
Gomes said she was also one of her son’s favorite teachers. “There was a year that my family struggled financially, and she went and took it upon herself to buy gifts for my kids for Christmas,” Gomes said. “I had no idea she had done this, and that’s what makes me sad, because I feel like the world lost someone beautiful, somebody with a good heart.”
Weiner’s son was taken to Broward Health Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening. “For the rest of his life, he’s gonna have that in his heart,” Gomes said. “For the rest of his life, it’s gonna be hard every time Christmas passes because he’s gonna know, ‘This is when I lost my mother.’ That’s gonna be hard for him.”
Weiner and her son were driving through a green light when, police said, 17-year-old Eric Abraham sped through the red light and crashed into them. The Toyota was reported stolen out of Miami Gardens.
“The vehicle failed to stop, and it continued eastbound on Sample Road at a high rate of speed,” said Coral Springs Police Detective Ernesto Bruna, “running the red light on 101st Ave.”
Four young men who were in the Toyota were seen on the ground. They are all juveniles, except for 18-year-old Tyree Goodwin.
Goodwin faced a judge in bond court Wednesday morning, facing grand theft.
Abraham, who was behind the wheel, faces several charges including vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing and alluding, causing serious bodily injury or death.
“The law will step up and serve its purpose and do what needs to be done,” Gomes said. “They will get their punishment for what they’ve done. She doesn’t deserve this. Her family doesn’t deserve this loss.”
Weiner’s son is expected to be OK.
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