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Cira Quiñones Lewis, a 60-year-old Cuban, was arrested this Sunday following a violent chain reaction crash on Interstate 75 in Weston, Broward County, which left two women dead, a one-year-old baby in critical condition, and three adults injured.
Quiñones Lewis was driving with a suspended license at the time of the fatal accident, according to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
The multiple collision occurred around 10:45 AM on Sunday, Mother's Day, in the northbound lanes of I-75, beyond exit 19, and involved a total of five vehicles, several of which were severely damaged due to the sequence of impacts, authorities stated.
According to preliminary investigations, a driver stopped her vehicle in an unauthorized area of the highway to try to help a relative whose car had broken down near the roadside.
The authorities explained that the driver entered the road from the wrong side and attempted to cross to where the other vehicle was parked, creating a high-risk situation in the midst of traffic.
A second car was able to stop in time, but the third vehicle could not brake and collided with it, triggering a chain reaction that ultimately involved five vehicles.
The FHP has not yet revealed the identities of the two deceased women, who were passengers in the second vehicle. One of them, aged 58, died at the scene, and the other, aged 60, later passed away in the hospital, confirmed Telemundo 51.
In that same vehicle, there was also a one-year-old baby who was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where she was hospitalized in critical condition. The driver survived the impact.
Quiñones Lewis, who is originally from the province of Guantánamo, was also injured and was initially taken to Cleveland Clinic before being incarcerated at Broward County Jail, where she remained detained on Monday.
The jail records indicate that he faces two charges: driving with a suspended license (first offense) and not returning the driver's license or registration after insurance cancellation.
In addition to the traffic charges, the Highway Patrol reported that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will take custody of Quiñones Lewis, as she does not have legal immigration status in the United States. The woman has an immigration detention order.
This type of immigration detention is independent of the criminal charges arising from the accident, which investigation remains ongoing.
The exact circumstances of the collision and the determination of liability have not yet been established by the authorities.
The accident caused a complete closure of the lanes for several hours, until the road was reopened shortly after 4:00 PM on Sunday.
The FHP investigation is still ongoing, and it is possible that charges against Quiñones Lewis may be expanded depending on the results of the process.
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