According to the Lakeland Ledger, Candra Michelle Rittenhouse, 17, of Winter Haven, FL, and Sara Kay Smith, 16, were involved in a motor vehicle accident on Feb. 9, 2009 in Bartow, FL. The crash is currently under investigation as a possible suicide.
Investigations reveal that Rittenhouse was driving Smith's vehicle the night of the accident. Rittenhouse was sleeping over at a friend's house in Lakeland, FL when Smith snuck out of her bedroom window and drove to pick Rittenhouse up. The two girls left around 1:40 a.m. to visit a friend in Lakeland, FL.
The crash occurred around 2:25 a.m. on S.R. 540 at Summer Glen Drive, FL. Rittenhouse was driving west when the 1991 Nissan Pathfinder swerved off the road, went airborne, and flew into a wooden utility pole, snapping the pole in half. The vehicle flipped and burst into flames. Both girls were ejected from the vehicle.
Both Rittenhouse and Smith were airlifted to Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL. Rittenhouse died during surgery later in the morning. After undergoing extensive treatment for her injuries, Smith was released from the hospital.
The autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner's Office in Hillsborough County, FL, states that Rittenhouse did not have drugs or alcohol in her system. The accident scene did not show tire marks, or signs of evasive action.
In an interview with investigators, Smith stated that she and Rittenhouse had made a suicide pact the night of the accident. "We wanted to die together," she told police.
Smith said that the pact was made because Smith missed her friend who died in a collision the previous year and Rittenhouse had argued with her mother on lifestyle decisions.
Rittenhouse's family refuses to believe it was a suicide attempt, for they believe Candra was full of life and looking forward to her high school prom.
"She was a happy girl," Joey Yeako, her stepfather, said Tuesday. "Candra was doing well in school and had just won blue ribbons for her cooking, and she was looking for a prom dress and planning her graduation trip. You won't get anybody to believe that this was something Candra wanted."
Rittenhouse wanted to become a chef later in life, and was a senior at Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, FL, her stepfather commented.
Yeako is still not convinced, even though investigators concluded earlier this month that Rittenhouse's death was a suicide. Consequently, Rittenhouse's death certificate was changed to reflect suicide as the cause of death.
The high speed of the vehicle and lack of skid marks does raise suspicion in this case, Polk County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson stated. He reported that suicide by automobile is uncommon, but certainly not unheard of.
This is certainly a real tragedy for all families involved. From a legal perspective, it should be noted that most insurance policies contain an exclusion for intentional acts. If in fact, the crash was a suicide attempt, then the incident would likely fall under that exclusion. Thus, any passengers injured as a result of the driver's intentional act may not have a claim. In my practice as a personal injury attorney, practicing in Polk County, FL, I represent victims of automobile accidents. A thorough investigation of the collision and all applicable policies will ultimately determine whether a claim for damages exists.
