Kristie Lynn Lamoureaux
3 killed in area crashes
By LISE FISHER AND KAREN VOYLES
Sun staff writers
January 28. 2007 6:01AM
Three young people were killed and three others injured in a pair of unrelated accidents early Saturday. Both accidents occurred when pickups struck large trees, one west of Brooker in Bradford County and the other in northwestern Alachua County involving a Santa Fe High School student.
In one accident, two High Springs area teenagers, William Matthew Long, 19, and Kristie Lynn Lamoureaux, 17, died in a crash at NW 142nd Avenue and NW 268th Street, according to troopers.
Two others in the pickup, William Long's brother Michael Joseph Long, 20, and John Quinn Presnell, 17, received major incapacitating injuries, including internal injuries, and were taken to Shands at the University of Florida, said FHP spokesman Lt. Mike Burroughs.
Presnell was in serious condition late Saturday and Long was in fair condition, the hospital reported.
In the second accident, the Florida Highway Patrol had not determined by late Saturday the exact time of a Bradford County accident that killed Codey Ann Murray, 20, of Newberry and injured her only passenger, Daniel Smith Griffis II, 23, of Starke.
According to a crash report by FHP Cpl. J. A. Starling, Murray was driving a 2006 GMC pickup west on State Road 18. Murray and Smith were not wearing their seat belts. Starling determined the accident happened when the GMC failed to follow a curve in the highway, crossed the center line and ran off the pavement. The truck continued through a metal fence and came to a stop after hitting a tree with the left front. Murray was pronounced dead at the scene and Griffis was taken to Shands at Starke with minor injuries, according to Starling's report. Griffis' condition was not immediately available Saturday night.
In the crash involving the High Springs area teens, Burrough said that, based on a preliminary investigation, troopers believe the crash was related to alcohol use and the vehicle's speed. He did not say how fast the vehicle was going, but that it was faster than the road's 30 mph speed limit.
Burroughs said it appeared the pickup was headed to drop off Lamoureaux at her home. He did not know where the four had been earlier that night. At about 12:20 a.m., the pickup was driving west on NW 142nd Avenue, approaching the intersection with NW 268th Street, when it drove off the dirt road.
"There's no indication of any braking," Burroughs said. "Vehicle tire marks clearly indicated it drove off the roadway and over a small embankment and struck a large tree with the right front."
No one in the pickup was wearing a seat belt, troopers reported.
The force of the impact threw the four against the right side of the vehicle, Burroughs said. Officers could not immediately determine who had been driving the 2004 Ford pickup, which Burroughs said is registered to Michael Long.
Alachua County School Board spokeswoman Jackie Johnson said Presnell is a student at Santa Fe High School and that a crisis team made up of counselors from around the district will be at the school Monday morning to work with students and faculty members who may be grieving over the tragedy.
Karen Voyles can be reached at 486-5058 or voylesk@ gvillesun.com.
