ORLANDO, Fla. — Newly reviewed court documents show just how impaired 19-year-old Christopher Laureda was the night he allegedly caused a crash that killed a Connecticut man and severely injured his fiancée on International Drive.
According to the documents, Laureda’s blood alcohol level tested at 0.126 and 0.121, more than one and a half times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08. In the same records, Laureda admitted to troopers that he drank an entire case of alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
Laureda is charged with DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Investigators say he ran a red light at Central Florida Parkway and International Drive on Aug. 30, causing a crash that killed Nealson Carrasquillo, 29, and seriously injured his fiancée, Jalissa Velazquez, 23.
The new details come as Velazquez’s family waits for her to come home from the hospital. Her discharge was originally expected earlier Thursday, but was pushed back. Her mother, Jessica Fuentes, sat down with Channel 9 while the family waited.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m so distraught with the whole situation, the criminal justice system, how the cops are handling it, and again, I feel very insecure for Orlando itself,” Fuentes said.
Fuentes said every new detail in the case has been difficult to process.
“Every time I hear something, it’s positive for him and just more negative for my daughter and her kids,” she said.
She said her daughter is facing a long recovery, one that will keep her from watching her own son grow up.
“My daughter could be in this position for the next two years. She can’t pick up her eight-month-old son, so by the time she’s able to, he’s going to be two years old,” Fuentes said.
Despite the pain, Fuentes said the family is staying focused on Velazquez’s recovery and on seeking accountability.
“The only thing we could do is get Jalissa better and advocate as much as we can for her for justice,” she said.
Fuentes also had a message for other young people.
“Please, kids, if you’re not supposed to drink, don’t drink, and if you are drinking, don’t drive, because it took away someone’s husband, it took away someone’s father, and it just destroyed a whole family,” she said.
Velazquez’s family says they now expect her to be released from the hospital later Thursday.
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