Possible plea deal in works for driver accused of wrong-way crash that killed 5
Families of the teenagers killed in a wrong-way crash are hoping a plea deal can be reached for the driver accused of the August 2022 tragedy on the Palmetto Expressway.
Miami-Dade prosecutors and attorneys for Maiky Simeon, now 33, have been going back and forth on terms for a plea deal but have yet to reach an agreement, they said at a Friday hearing in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
Prosecutors previously offered Simeon a 20-year sentence, which he rejected. His attorney, Larry Handfield, countered with proposals of 10 and 15 years, but prosecutor Shawn Abuhoff made it clear they will not accept anything less than 20 years.
According to an arrest affidavit, Simeon drove the wrong way on the Palmetto Expressway for at least a mile before colliding near Northwest 57th Avenue with a dark gray Honda Accord driven by 19-year-old Brianna Michelle Pacalagua.
Pacalagua and four of her passengers — Valeria Pena Gonzalez, 17; Daniella Marcano, 19; Valeria Caceres, 18; and Giancarlo Arias, 18 — were all killed in the crash.
Inside the courtroom, family members honored their loved ones by wearing white shirts bearing their images. Julia Magdalena Gonzalez Moreno, Valeria Pena’s mother, wore a shirt with angel wings printed on the back. Another mother’s shirt featured a butterfly alongside her daughter’s portrait and the words, “You are loved.”
The families told a Miami Herald reporter they hope a plea agreement can be finalized so they can move forward after nearly four years of legal proceedings. They sat on the side of the courtroom in front of Simeon, who wore a black mask and was handcuffed to other inmates as they sat in the jury box. He could be seen chatting with his fellow inmates.
Simeon’s family was also present in the courtroom, and he often looked in their direction and sometimes mouthed words to them.
During the hearing, Circuit Court Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson addressed Simeon through a Haitian Creole interpreter, warning him that if he chooses to go to trial, he could face up to 150 years in prison on 10 charges — five counts of vehicular homicide and five counts of DUI manslaughter.
After consulting with his client, Handfield told the court he would be open to accepting a 20-year plea deal. Prosecutor Abuhoff said he now needs time to consult with the victims’ families to determine whether they would agree to that sentence.
Simeon’s next plea hearing is set for May 4.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 12:41 PM.