, Fla. — A Volusia County family is grieving after a father of four was killed in a hit-and-run crash on I-75.
The Florida Highway Patrol says 34-year-old Stavan Albert Facey was driving a semi for work through Manatee County when he was killed.
Less than 24-hours after the crash, troopers arrested 18-year-old Jonathan Matos Morales, a former minor league catcher with the Atlanta Braves Organization.
The Cocoa native is facing charges for fleeing the scene of a deadly crash and for vehicular homicide.
Court records show Matos Morales has entered a not guilty plea and posted a $200,000 dollar bond. He was released on the conditions he doesn’t leave the State of Florida and doesn’t get behind the wheel of any vehicle.
Facey’s family told Channel 9 they take no comfort in his release.
“Put him in jail, and throw away the key,” said Facey’s mother Judy Thomas, “He should not get the privilege to drive again.”
Thomas told Channel 9 her son had worked as a truck driver for more than seven years and had never been in an accident before. She told Channel 9 Facey crisscrossed the state in his semi regularly and was the family’s main provider.
She said it’s difficult to watch dash camera video released depicting her son’s final moments.
It shows a Mustang, which troopers say was driven Matos Morales, crashing into a Chevy Trailblazer, which then crashes into Facey’s truck.
According to troopers, it was actually someone with the Braves organization who called to alert the Florida Highway Patrol about a potential suspect vehicle in their spring training complex.
According to the arrest report, when troopers arrived at the complex, Matos Morales said he was coming from his girlfriend’s house to the training complex in Venice, Florida and was “running a few minutes late” before the crash.
Several witnesses told troopers Matos Morales was driving recklessly, had cut vehicles off and was changing lanes multiple times.
According to troopers after the crash, Matos Morales said he didn’t know what to do, “was panicking, shaking and called his girlfriend first to tell her that someone had tapped him on the side of his car when he was just trying to brake for someone that was in front of him.”
Thomas told Channel 9 there’s no justification for reckless driving and that she wants everyone to be more cautious and mindful when behind the wheel.
She says her family is grieving, now trying to plan a funeral, and trying to explain to Facey’s young children that their dad will not come home.
“It’s very hard,” said Thomas, “I will continue to love him and one day I will meet him. One day I’ll meet him again.”
The family has organized a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and provide for Facey’s children. That GoFundMe is linked here.
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