Driver arrested in Miami for fatal accident that claimed the life of a Cuban teenager

A 23-year-old man was arrested this week in Miami-Dade County, accused of driving under the influence last month when he crashed, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old Cuban teenager who was a passenger.

Bryan Arturo Báez-Martínez, a resident of Naranja, was arrested on Wednesday, May 14, and booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGKCC). The young man faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide by reckless driving, involuntary manslaughter under the influence of alcohol (DUI), and driving without a license.

The accident occurred on April 12 at around 9:30 PM, at the intersection of Naranja Lakes Boulevard and SW 143rd Court.

Báez-Martínez was driving a 2006 Ford Escape without Florida plates with the teenager Yansay Delgado Fernández, a 14-year-old Cuban who had emigrated just nine months earlier, in the front seat.

According to the authorities, the driver failed to navigate a curve, veered off the road, skidded for more than 220 feet, and crashed into a metal railing, causing the vehicle to overturn onto its roof.

The victim, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle through the front window and died at the scene after hitting her head against the railing, as determined by emergency services.

Delgado Fernández, originally from Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara, had emigrated to the United States only nine months before the accident. His family started a campaign on GoFundMe to cover the funeral expenses.

The agents who arrived at the scene observed that Báez-Martínez showed clear signs of intoxication: red and watery eyes, difficulty speaking, and a strong smell of alcohol. Although he refused to take the sobriety tests on-site, he later agreed to provide a blood sample. The analysis, conducted three hours after the incident, revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.065, below the legal limit of 0.08 in Florida, though investigators believe that the level was higher at the time of the accident.

“The totality of the evidence shows that the individual was driving under the influence and at an unreasonably high speed at night, well above the permitted limit,” states the report cited by Telemundo. “His decision to drive at that speed demonstrates a blatant disregard for the safety of others on the road.”

Surveillance camera footage captured Báez-Martínez and the teenager leaving an apartment complex just two minutes before the accident.

During his appearance before the bail court on Thursday, May 15, a judge set a bail amount of $100,001 and prohibited him from driving. Additionally, Báez-Martínez remains under a detention order issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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