MELBOURNE, Florida — The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting that 15-year-old Brandon Fritz of Melbourne died from his injuries sustain in a vehicle crash just before midnight last night near the intersection of I-95 and Pineda Causeway in Melbourne, Florida.
According to FHP, Frtiz was a passenger in a 2000 Chevy Tahoe traveling southbound on I-95 in the inside lane driven by 16-year-old Zachary Roy of Melbourne. Another vehicle, a 2012 Mazda driven by 55-year-old Ronald D’ Haeseleer of Vero Beach was also traveling on southbound in the center lane of I-95.
The Tahoe suffered tread separation on the rear tire, causing Roy to lose control. The right front of the Tahoe struck the left rear of the Mazda. Both vehicles went onto the west shoulder of I-95 with the Tahoe overturning several times before coming to a rest on its tires while the Mazda continued off the road into the wood line striking several trees. Fritz was ejected from the Tahoe.
Roy suffered serious injuries and was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. There were four other teenage passengers in the Tahoe, all suffering serious injury and being transported to Holmes. They are:
17-year-old Lucious McKay of Palm Bay, Florida
15-year-old Dymond Thomas of Palm Bay, Florida
15-year-old Alexander Hartfield of Palm Bay, Florida
15-year-old Michael McCauley of Melbourne, Florida According to FHP, only Roy and McKay were wearing their seat belts in the Tahoe at the time of the accident.
D’ Haeseleer and his passenger, 17-year-old Alexander D’Heaseleer, suffered minor injuries and were not transported to a hospital. Both were wearing their seat belts.
This crash remains under investigation.