Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Almost a year after causing a car accident that killed 3 and injured another, 22-year-old Luis Grateron has fled the country and taken refuge in Europe, investigators suggest.
Grateron is now considered a fugitive by Broward Country federal agents and is charged with three counts each of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter for the deaths of Shelley Rapp, 20, Daniela Hernandez, 21, and Diego Ortiz, 21.
Two months before Grateron was to surrender to the police, he fled the country. It’s believed he flew to Switzerland on October 17, Croatia, and then to Germany, though some say he is now staying with family in Spain.
The accident took place on the morning of March 8 in Miami-Dade County, when Grateron crashed his 2018 supercharged Volkswagen Golf after partying in Wynwood.
It was said that before the crash, Grateron “flicked off an officer” while traveling at speeds in excess of 147 miles per hour. Data collected from the car confirms these speeds at the time of the accident.
At those speeds, he completely lost control of the vehicle and rolled it down the 58th Street ramp. Officers at the scene say the velocity of the rolling car was strong enough to split a tree and eject the engine.
All passengers are dead in the wake of this horrific accident except for Grateron who remains on the lamb in Europe, most likely in Spain with family.
The fatal crash was not the first DUI-related case for Grateron. He was arrested for speeding with THC in his system a year earlier in Broward County, and he was participating in a drug court program at the time of the crash.
We hope that lessons like this will teach us all that driving this recklessly can and will change lives. And we hope that our readers understand the dangers of driving aggressively.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident, please call our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers and let us help you.
About the Author
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.