Teenager Killed During High-Speed Maserati Crash in St. Petersburg

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 3, 2022

Authorities in Pinellas County currently believe that the late-night theft of a luxury sports car indirectly contributed to the death of a 15-year-old driver over the weekend after he was killed during a high-speed auto accident along 62nd Street North in St. Petersburg.

According to a statement released to the press from Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the entire incident began at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 2, 2022, when 15-year-old Mario Bonilla, 15-year-old Keondrick Lang, and 16-year-old Malachi Daniels, were allegedly walking around the vicinity of 29th Street North and 58th Avenue North in St. Petersburg, pulling on car door handles to see which vehicles were unlocked.

Official reports indicate that the trio of teens were finally able to find an unlocked 2016 Maserati with the car keys still in the ignition and quickly hopped inside the vehicle and sped away, with 15-year-old Keondrick Lang in the driver’s seat. As the group was leaving the scene, they were spotted by an overhead police helicopter that was responding to an unrelated burglary in a nearby neighborhood. Officers on the ground were alerted to the auto theft and tried to stop the Maserati, but the luxury car fled the area at nearly 80 miles per hour. The stolen vehicle was followed by the police helicopter for a short time until the Maserati drove over a curb and violently crashed into the side of a local business located on 62nd Street North.

Pinellas County emergency response teams arrived at the scene of the car accident within a few minutes and sadly discovered that the front seat passenger of the Maserati, 15-year-old Mario Bonilla, had already died from his injuries. The other passenger, 16-year-old Malachi Daniels, who was sitting in the back seat when the crash occurred, sustained severe life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he remains in serious condition. The 15-year-old driver, Keondrick Lang, also suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive.

“These are young kids. They’re inexperienced drivers, no driver’s licenses, driving at 3:30 in the morning 80 miles an hour,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this tragic auto accident. No charges have been filed at the time of this publication.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.