Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Teen dies in accident on I-4

Her sister lost control of her SUV, which threw the girl in front of an oncoming van.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published March 6, 2007

PLANT CITY - She told crash investigators she felt tired, that she didn't get enough sleep.

Yachira M. Caraballo-Aguilar, 17, was driving to Tampa Bay Technical High School on Monday morning when troopers say she lost control of her vehicle. The crash killed her passenger - her 16-year-old sister, Monica.

Now troopers are trying to piece together what happened. No charges have been filed.

"She made statements that she was very tired ... so we feel that fatigue may have played a role," said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Larry Coggins.

The accident on Interstate 4 near McIntosh Road was the latest in a string of teen highway deaths. At least 11 people under age 20 have died on east Hillsborough County roads since October. In several cases, inexperienced drivers were at the wheel.

In Monday's crash, about 7:35 a.m., the Caraballo-Aguilar sisters were headed west toward Tampa from their home at 1116 N Johnson St. in Plant City when Yachira lost control of the 1998 Ford Explorer, troopers said.

The sport utility vehicle veered into the median, where it spun clockwise, re-entered the road and flipped.

Neither teen wore a seat belt, investigators said.

The impact tossed Monica out of the SUV and into the path of a van. The van, driven by Martin J. Betances, 35, of Lakeland, struck Monica, troopers said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Betances, who was not injured, declined to comment.

Yachira was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition Monday evening.

A hospital spokeswoman said the teen's family declined an interview request.

Monica's area of specialty at the technical school was automobile repair. Teachers remembered her devotion, said school spokeswoman Linda Cobbe. She recently placed third in a competition on diesel technology.

"She was planning on opening a repair shop when she finished school," Cobbe said.

A team of crisis counselors went to the school Monday to offer aid to students, Cobbe said.

Yachira is a senior at the school, Cobbe said.

State driving records show she received a careless driving citation in September 2006. Further information on that citation was not available Monday.

In determining whether to charge drivers in crashes, investigators look at aggravating circumstances, said Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter.

Prosecutors and law enforcement officers say cases involving siblings are unusual, but not unheard of.

Families are asked for their input in cases, said Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi.

"The family's wishes are one thing we take into consideration among many other factors," Bondi said.

News researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 6, 2007, 06:23:26]