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Cira Quiñones Lewis, a 60-year-old Cuban, was arrested this Sunday following a violent chain collision on Interstate 75 in Weston, Broward County, which resulted in the deaths of two women, a baby under one year old in critical condition, and three adults injured.
Quiñones Lewis was driving with a suspended license at the time of the fatal accident, according to 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 specified.
According to the preliminary investigation, a driver stopped her vehicle in an unauthorized area of the highway to try to assist a relative whose car had broken down near the edge of the road.
The authorities explained that the driver entered from the wrong side of the road and attempted to cross to where the other vehicle was parked, creating a high-risk situation amidst the traffic.
A second car managed 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 disclosed the identities of the two women who passed away, both of whom were passengers in the second vehicle. One of them, aged 58, died at the scene, while the other, aged 60, later succumbed in the hospital, confirmed Telemundo 51.
In that same vehicle was also a baby under one year old, who was transported by helicopter to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where she was hospitalized in critical condition. The driver survived the impact.
Quiñones Lewis, who is from the province of Guantánamo, was also injured and was initially taken to Cleveland Clinic before being confined in the Broward County jail, where she remained detained this Monday.
The jail records indicate that he faces two charges: driving with a suspended license (first offense) and failing to return the driver's license or registration after the insurance was canceled.
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 detainer warrant.
This type of immigration detention is independent of the criminal charges stemming from the accident, which investigation remains open.
The exact circumstances of the crash and the determination of responsibility 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 after 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The FHP investigation is still ongoing, and it is possible that charges against Quiñones Lewis may be expanded based on the results of the process.
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