DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – A Boca Raton man was arrested this week after he was drunken driving when he caused a crash that killed one woman and injured four people in Deerfield Beach, deputies said.
Raphael Candido Vilela, 20, of Boca Raton, faces multiple charges, including negligent manslaughter and driving while under the influence.
Recommended Videos
According to the arrest report, Sebastian Espinoza, 18, was turning his 2018 Tesla Model 3 onto County Club Boulevard from West Hillsboro Boulevard just before 4 a.m. Sunday when Candido Vilela's BMW 503i struck the Tesla at a high rate of speed.
The impact of the crash ripped the Tesla in two pieces, killing Espinoza's passenger 19-year-old Thais Haug, deputies said. The BMW caught fire and the crash caused its front wheels to fall off.
Candido Vilela's three passengers -- Alive Silva, Giovannia Silva and Joao Coneglian -- were seriously hurt. The three teenagers remain in the intensive care unit at Broward Health North.
Espinoza suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Candido Vilela was drunk and was driving recklessly at the time of the crash, the report said. He was driving with an expired license, deputies said.
Friends said Haug was a student at Broward College and was going to attend the University of Central Florida in the fall. Friends and family set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for her funeral expenses.
"At only 19 years old, Thais had her whole life ahead of her," organizer Diane Yendell said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact traffic homicide Detective Anthony Morales at 954-321-4840 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.