Why the driver in a crash that killed four Keys tourists has not been charged
Florida Highway Patrol traffic homicide investigators have not yet concluded their probe into a March 5 crash in Islamorada that claimed the lives of four Spanish tourists on U.S. 1.
Charges are pending against Carlos Manso Blanco, 31, in the crash in which FHP investigators say he hit the women's 2018 Nissan Rogue with his Isuzu truck as the car was attempting to make a left-hand turn in the northbound lane at mile marker 80 on the northern end of Tea Table Bridge.
Manso Blanco could not be reached for comment.
Lt. Kathleen McKinney, FHP sub-district commander in the Keys, said traffic homicide investigators could take another 30 days before they complete their report, although McKinney said she doesn't anticipate it will take that long.
"After they do, they will consult with the state attorney's office before they file any charges," McKinney said.
Killed in the crash that afternoon were Margarita Cortés-Pardo, 31, from Illes Balears, Spain; María López-Bermejo Rosselló, 31, from Mallorca, Spain; Teresa Sánchez Quetglas, 30, also from Mallorca; and Ana Gaitán Díaz, 31, from Cordoba, Spain. The young women were vacationing in South Florida and the Keys.
Cortés-Pardo was behind the wheel when the Isuzu rear-ended the Rogue, pushing it into the southbound lane. The passenger side of the vehicle was placed directly in the path of a 2016 Allegro motor home driven by Daniel Pinkerton, 62, of Alaska.
The women were likely wearing seat belts, but troopers say the impact from the Allegro was so intense that nothing would have saved them. First responders worked the scene for most of the day under the impression that there were three bodies inside the Rogue. It wasn't until hours later when firefighters cut the vehicle open that the fourth victim was discovered.
The two-mile stretch of highway — from mile marker 78 to 80 — is a frequent area for crashes because it is a popular recreation spot for fishing, swimming, picnicking and putting boats in the water. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay lobbied the Florida Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit there from 55 mph to 45 mph following the March 5 crash.
Earlier last week, FDOT turned down the request outright, but compromised after Ramsay protested the decision directly to Jim Wolfe, district secretary for South Florida and the Keys. By the end of May, the new speed limit will be 50 mph.
This story was originally published May 2, 2018 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Why the driver in a crash that killed four Keys tourists has not been charged."