Grady Judd: Woman accused of causing triple fatal crash almost hit semi-truck head-on moments earlier
LAKE WALES, Fla. - A trip to the beach and a day at Busch Gardens ended up changing two families forever, leaving a three-year-old without a mother and another toddler without grandparents.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a witness told detectives that Hannah Wieser, 22, of Winter Haven, was traveling more than 100 miles per hour about a mile before she slammed head-on into a pickup truck with a toddler and his grandparents returning home from a trip to Busch Gardens.
"Less than a mile from this scene where she died in a head-on collision that she created, we have a witness who said he had to literally slam on the brakes and take an evasive maneuver, so she could get out of the way from hitting a semi head-on," Judd said.
According to deputies, 22-year-old Hannah Wieser of Winter Haven was driving a 2015 Ford Flex westbound on State Road 60 East, east of CR 630, shortly before 10 p.m.
The sheriff's office says Wieser was behind a blue Kia van that was being driven by tourists from England. According to deputies, the 22-year-old went into the eastbound lane to pass the Kia.
As she was trying to pass the Kia, authorities say she hit a Ford F-150 truck head-on.
Wieser, along with 54-year-old Luis Rodriguez and 52-year-old Jomar Maldonado, of Port St. Lucie, died in the crash.
The Port St. Lucie couple’s 3-year-old grandson, Jaydyn, was flown to an Orlando children’s hospital, where he was treated, and released.
Deputies say the Kia hit Wieser’s car after the crash but only had minor damage. The family from England were at River Ranch and heading back to their rental in Haines City.
According to Sheriff Judd, Wieser had been driving recklessly and was probably speeding around 100 miles an hour when the crash occurred.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
He noted that all of the drivers and passengers involved were wearing seat belts and the 3-year-old was properly strapped into his car seat in the backseat of the truck, according to PCSO.
Judd said Wieser was returning from the beach when the crash took place and her family did not know why she would have been traveling so fast.
"Hannah left behind a three-year-old child that now has to grow up without a mom all because of her recklessness and speed. We don’t know about drugs or alcohol yet. That will be part of the medical examination later. However, we did find a beer can that was in her lap that was impaled in her leg. We don’t know if that was an old beer can that was in the car or a current beer can," Judd said.
Judd stressed that the crash did not have to happen.
"It breaks our heart for Hannah’s family and for the innocent family as well, because none of them deserved to die that night, but that’s what happens when you get behind the wheel of a car and do stupid things at high rates of speed for whatever reason. Bad things can happen and that’s one example of that," Judd said.
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