JACKSONVILLE, FL - A 17-year-old Florida teen is facing multiple felony charges, including DUI manslaughter, following a fatal crash that occurred this past March in Jacksonville which claimed the lives of a 50-year-old man and his two teenage boys.
On July 6, police arrested 17-year-old Sidney Reshawn Harrell in connection with a March 1 high-speed fatal crash which claimed the lives of a 50-year-old father and his two sons, ages 13 and 14. Authorities say when Harrell was initially pulled over before his arrest earlier in July, he was reportedly stopped for speeding.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO), Harrell was allegedly travelling westbound on Atlantic Boulevard in the city’s Empire Point neighborhood when he crossed over the median into oncoming traffic, crashing into a vehicle head-on and subsequently colliding with another.
A second vehicle reportedly collided with the vehicle allegedly hit head-on by Harrell, resulting in the vehicle bursting into flames and trapping the three occupants inside who were unable to be rescued in time. Authorities say three other people were also seriously injured during the collision.
Following an investigation led by the JSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit, investigators say Harrell didn’t have a drivers license at the time of the fatal crash, but instead only a learner’s permit which had already been suspended two months earlier in January. Additionally, authorities claim the electronic data recorder inside of Harrell’s vehicle showed he had the accelerator at 100% during the incident, travelling at a rate of 98 miles per hour before colliding with the victims’ vehicle.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that Harrell appeared to be smoking a “blunt” while operating the vehicle, reportedly weaving in and out of traffic prior to the collision. A subsequent toxicology test reportedly revealed Harrell had “a large amount of THC” in his system at the time of the incident, authorities say.
The juvenile has since been charged with driving on a suspended/revoked license, three counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of DUI manslaughter, and three counts of DUI causing injury.
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