17yearold Noah Thomas Galle, a resident of Florida, USHe was charged with manslaughter for driving at over 200 km/h in an accident that killed six people.
Galle’s 2019 BMW M5 crashed into another car carrying people returning home from work in Delray Beach on January 27.
Among the dead are driver Mirlaine Julceus, 44; Remise Michel, 52; Marie M Louis and Filaine Dieu, 45; and Vanice Percina, 28 years old. The sixth person’s name was not released, the WPBF reported.
On the way to a hospital, when a police officer asked Galle how fast he was driving, the teenager is said to have replied “over 193 km/h”.
Investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office believe the teenager, who suffered minor injuries, was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the accident, the SunSentinel reported. Only the drivers of the cars were buckled up.
During the investigation, someone alerted police that Galle had taped himself driving at extremely high speeds two weeks earlier and posted the footage to Instagram and TikTok.
Police also discovered on the young man’s social media that he had posted a picture of him driving at almost 300 km/h in the same luxury car. In the comments, the teenager wrote that the first person to guess the speed would get $25 (about R$115.50).
A standard 2019 BMW M5 is electronically limited to 150 mph (249 km/h), but the competition model allows it 304 km/h, according to a BMW dealer website cited by the newspaper. The police report did not specify which model Galle was driving.
The teenager received the six counts of murder last Tuesday (19).
Louis’ daughter, Lyndie Louis, contacted Palm Beach County Juvenile Court Judge Cymonie Rowe.
“This has been a very, very difficult situation for my entire family, my sister, me and my daughter,” Lyndie said, according to the WPBF. “She is 8 years old. Every time she comes home she asks, “Why can’t grandma come back, mom?” My mother was a very loving and devoted woman.”
“I think the defendant should be in jail, not at home. We can’t see our families now, and why should he? It was a very reckless crime, not just for my mother for everyone’s life. We need justice,” he added.
Julceus’ niece Clerna Marc told the court the tragedy “substantially destroyed” the family.
“Mirlaine left a 10yearold daughter who is growing up without her mother. He just wants justice for this situation,” she said, referring to Julceus’ widower.
Galle is being held on $300,000 bail, equivalent to BRL1.3 million. If you pay the amount, the youth will not be allowed to drive and must remain under house arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 28.