Miami, Fla. – In a tragic turn of events, four close friends were all killed in a car accident in the early hours of the morning this past New Year’s Day.
Only one of the names of the four has been released by investigators; the 21-year-old Florida Internal University student of psychology, Yulia Gelats. The names of the other three have not been released and will likely not be released until all families have been notified.
Those close to the four friends said they were “one big family, they just looked out for each other.”
Only Ms. Gelats’ family has commented on the tragic car accident. Emotions ran high as her father described how much he would miss his only daughter, claimed far too young.
The accident occurred at 4 a.m. when Miss Gelats’ Hyundai Elantra was struck by a Chevy Tahoe driven by a 16-year-old at Northwest 79th Avenue and Flagler Street. Gelats was making attempting to make a left turn at a flashing red light when the driver of the SUV struck her car and killed her and the three other passengers.
The driver of the SUV entered the intersection at a yellow light and the driver and passenger of the Tahoe were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital where they are expected to make a full recovery.
Unfortunately, this is a story all too familiar to many of us.
New Year’s Eve is a holiday that exists as a duality, a happy but dangerous night. So many people are looking forward to a new year with anticipation, goals, and even a few what-ifs. But for some, those dreams are cut short because the party atmosphere of New Year’s Eve claimed their life.
Though there is still no word if the accident was influenced by any drugs or alcohol, Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating.
We hope that everyone has had a safe new year. If you or a loved one were injured in a collision, call one of our Miami car accident lawyers today.
