Kaely Camacho was an eighth-grader who loved dance and cheerleading. Just 13-years old, Kaely was killed when the van she was traveling in was hit by a drunk driver.
Tragic stories make headlines — and they should. According to the Florida Department of Public Safety, 805 Floridians died in alcohol-related crashes in 2012. Kaely was one of them. The lives and names behind those numbers memorialize the tragedy behind every single drunk driving fatality.
In April 2012, the van driven in southwest Miami-Dade by Kirk Camacho, Kaely’s father, was struck broadside by a sports utility vehicle driven by Sandor Guillen. The force of the crash tore the minivan in two. Mr. Camacho described a bright flash and what sounded like a bomb as Mr. Guillen’s vehicle struck his van.
During the trial of Mr. Guillen, the prosecutor described the accident:
- Mr. Camacho held the limp body of his daughter as she lay dying. The force of the crash impaled Kaely on a cup holder in the van, leaving her with severe head injuries.
- Law enforcement described Mr. Guillen as driving at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour in the bus lane and running a red light before hitting the Camacho vehicle.
- Mr. Guillen fled his vehicle and ran away. He was located stumbling in a nearby field listening to music on his cell phone.
Mr. Guillen pled not guilty to DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. In March of this year he was found guilty on all charges.
Statistics are important, but stories and legal actions pay respect to life lived and died. If injured by a drunk driver in Florida, speak with a skilled injury attorney.