Man arrested 3 years after Orlando crash that killed 2, injured landscaper

Man arrested 3 years after deadly Orlando crash

A man has been arrested in connection with a 2022 crash that killed two people and severely injured a bystander, Florida Highway Patrol officials announced this week. Christian Carlson, now 25, is facing charges of vehicular homicide and reckless driving.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A man has been arrested in connection with a crash three years ago that killed two people and severely injured a bystander, Florida Highway Patrol officials announced this week.

What we know:

Christian Carlson, 25, was arrested this week and charged with vehicular homicide and reckless driving for a crash that killed two people and seriously injured a pedestrian. 

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According to the Florida Highway Patrol, shortly before 7:30 a.m., on August 9, 2022, an 18-year-old Orlando man driving in a Nissan Versa was trying to make a left turn from University Boulevard to Pelee Street, when he reportedly entered the path of Carlson’s Ford Mustang. The speed limit along University Blvd was 45mph, but investigators said Carlson was driving between 84mph and 99 mph when he crashed into the Nissan.

The crash killed a 44-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man inside the vehicle and left landscaper David Small with multiple serious injuries.

What we don't know:

Prosecutors have not indicated whether additional charges may be filed or if a plea deal is being discussed ahead of Carlson’s court appearance on July 14.

What they're saying:

David Small is the landscaper who was hit by the flipping car, and he says the car knocked him nearly 40 feet down the sidewalk breaking his ribs, foot, pelvis, nose and his jaw.

"I don’t have the same smile which I was known for, and I was loved for my smile, and that brought so much light to every situation from that," said Small. "So that’s one thing that scarred me the most."

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Small is still recovering but says he still struggles with his emotions about those scary moments.

"I feel guilty, which I shouldn’t. Maybe because I survived and they were in the car and didn’t," said Small. "How did I survive? You know that’s my question."

Small, still processing his survival, added, "Maybe because I survived, and they were in the car and didn’t. How did I survive? That’s my question."

Together, Small and his wife, Victoria Martinez, are trying to move forward with their children, but they say the scary memories from that day have not faded.

"We do forgive him because we’re nobody to judge, but you know, you do have to pay for your mistakes," Martinez said.

What's next:

Carlson is scheduled to appear in court on July 14.