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.
About the Author
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients.
He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels.
Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients. He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels. Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.