BSO Investigating After Teen Girl & Grandmother Killed In Head-On Collision
DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) – A South Florida family is mourning after a deadly head-on crash over the weekend.
Breanha Free-Baker, 17, her grandmother Robyn Underwood, 61, and Breanha's mother, Michelle Free-Baker were heading out to dinner Saturday evening when tragedy struck.
A car traveling at a high rate of speed crossed a median on Hillsboro Boulevard and slammed into them head-on, the Broward Sheriff's Office says.
Breanha and her grandmother died in the crash. Michelle was injured.
Jason Baker, Breanha's father and Michelle's husband, is devastated.
"Part of my life has been ripped out from me and my wife," he told CBS4's Carey Codd.
Baker said his daughter and his mother-in-law shared a close bond.
"They were constantly together," he said. "My wife would get calls from them; 'Hey mom, guess what we're at Speedway getting milkshakes or we're at Goodwill buying stuff.' They were always together."
Jason said his daughter planned to graduate high school early attend college and hoped to become a social worker.
"She couldn't hurt anybody,' he said. "She volunteered for big brothers, big sisters and volunteered kids at West Glades Elementary."
His mother-in-law was disabled but always helped young mothers.
"She went and would gather things from other mothers baby items, swings, baby items, formula, and donate to other mothers that lost their jobs or lost their husbands, whatever the case may be," he said.
According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, the driver believed to be responsible for the crash, Andrea Schneider, is suspected of traveling at a high rate of speed when she crossed the media on Hillsboro Boulevard and drove head-on into traffic.
She has not been charged and the investigation is ongoing. CBS4 News dug into her driving history and criminal record.
We discovered that court records in Broward and Palm Beach counties reveal that Schneider has a number of driving citations and criminal traffic cases.
In fact, in Palm Beach County Schneider, 21, has been in trouble more than half a dozen times since 2015 for things like grand theft, burglary, simple battery and possession of marijuana.
Her driving history includes citations for driving without a driver's license, not having insurance and careless driving.
After a recent traffic stop in Broward last fall, an officer wrote in a report, "Andrea was previously convicted on 3/21/2017 and 3/25/2017 for driving on a suspended driver's license."
State corrections records show Schneider is on misdemeanor probation for trespassing until the end of July.
Jason Baker said he believes state driving laws need to be tightened up.
"I'd like to see these people not have licenses that have been convicted of several aggravated traffic felonies, they should not have licenses," he said.
Baker said his mission now is for people to drive more safely on our roads and he urged anyone having difficulty driving to use a ride sharing service or get a ride with friend.
"Please don't take anyone else's family away from them," he said. "My soul's been ripped out of my chest and nobody else deserves to go through this pain that me and wife are presently going through."
CBS4 News asked BSO if drugs or alcohol played a role in this crash.
They said at this point they are not ruling out anything and the investigation continues.
