Names Released in Double-Fatal Crash Behind UCF
Safety — By Staff on October 16, 2009 at 12:08 pmUPDATE 6:08 P.M.
KnightNews.com has confirmed UCF student John Grosso died in Friday morning’s accident. He was 21.
His passenger, Jose Samuel Gonzalez, 21, also died in the crash. Gonzalez was not a student, according to UCF.
A KnightNews.com crew went to the scene of the crash at North Tanner Road near Lake Price Drive, and interviewed an eyewitness who lives right where the crash happened.
We are editing that video story to explain how this happened right now, and hope to have it up soon.
KnightNews.com extends ours sympathies to the victims’ friends and family, and invites anyone who’d like to share their memories to e-mail us at news@knightnews.com, so we can try to include them in the memorial story we are working on producing this weekend, if any of friends are ready to share their thoughts that soon.
UPDATE 2:08 P.M.
KnightNews.com has learned the names of the two college-aged men who died in a tragic car crash behind UCF early this morning.
Sadly, it appears at least one of the victims is a UCF student. We are choosing to withhold the names for a bit, until we can be sure their family, and close friends find out in the proper way during this difficult time.
Both victims were 21-years-old.
Sometime before 4 a.m. reports show the driver, from Plant City, was going down Tanner Road at a high rate of speed, lost control and hit a curve and then a mail box before slamming into a ditch, striking a utlity pole and and ending up overturned on the road.
The 2003 Nissan coup came to rest on Lake Price Drive.
The passenger who died in the crash was from Dover, Fla.
KnightNews.com will continue following this tragic story, and will release the victims’ names once the family members are properly told first by law enforcement.
Troopers are waiting for toxicology results before they will say whether alcohol may have contributed to the crash.
Check back for updates on this sad story.
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15 Comments
As an immediate family member of John, A/K/A Aunt Tammy, I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop leaving ANY comments about the bar. It is not about the bar, it is about my dear Nephew John and his best friend, Jose, who lost their lives. I understand your point as to not drinking too much. I understand your point as to not drink and drive. I also understand that you feel by writing your comments it will help awareness to drinking and driving; however, our family is in major mourning for my awesome Nephew whom we had the most difficult time burying yesterday. I would appreciate it if you would please post your comments elsewhere. I have every intention to save and print this information for our Family so that we can have a copy of wonderful comments that OUR friends, family, and John’s friends have posted about my Nephew.
To everyone who has been so awesome in supporting our family in this terrible time, please keep sending your comments, it DOES comfort our family.
I would appreciate it if EVERYONE would not respond to this person’s comments about the bar. This will just encourage this person to keep writing these comments. Let’s pretend he or she is not there, maybe eventually this person will crawl back from under the rock in which he/she came from.
This will be my only reply to this topic!
Dear John,
I miss you tremendously. Your smile, your laugh, your being…! Our Family will NEVER be the same. We miss you SO much! I know you are in heaven and you will be watching over us. Whenever we smile, laugh, or feel the wind blow, we will think of you. When the bright sun shines down on our face, we will think of you! Please give the ones who passed before you a hug and kiss for us. Saying goodbye is so hard, but we know you are in good hands. I thank you for the privilege of being your Tia. I have such wonderful memories of you.
I remember when you were about 7 years old and we were driving to the ice skating rink. You were such a chatter box in the car. You talked and talked and talked some more. There was no shutting you up. It was blah, blah, blah. We couldn’t hear ourselves think. Tio David decided to play a game, it was called who could be quiet the longest. One, Two, Three go… Not a second later your dad says “Are we starting yet?” Bam!!! Tio David yelled, “John, your Dad’s a loser.” You got so upset, you started yelling and crying, “My dad is not a loser!” You were so mad at Tio. Tio was on your crap list for several days after that. I remember this past Christmas writing this exact same information in your Christmas card!! You read it and laughed saying “That’s funny!” I still remember seeing your face laughing. That is a memory I will always hold dear to my heart!
The last time I saw you was a few months ago when you came to the office to have your teeth cleaned. You are such a handsome man! Before you left, you asked how your Tio was doing. Isn’t that just like you? You were always concerned about other people. (Baby, that is one of the things that made you so special!) I remember telling you goodbye and telling you that I loved you… You said with your wonderful smile, “I love you too, Tia.” That is the smile and words I have to hold on to… I love you, Baby, and I will see you again some day…
P.S.
Please tell God we really need His support right now. This is so difficult for all of us. Please pray for us to find peace… We ALL love you, Baby!!!
Listen John Jeffries, you don’t have all of the facts. Let us just remember, pray, think about, mourn for John and Jose. Stop trying to turn this into some lawsuit. The parents aren’t going to go for it. This is a very tragic situation for a lot of us, please stop posting about it since you don’t know what really happened.
“Your Best Source”,
As a family member of John I would like to ask you to please refrain from such disparaging remarks. Out of respect for my cousin and Jose please post memories and kind words none on how you feel the bar is responsible.
Sincerely,
Ronnie Barcena
It would be greatly appreciated (by everyone im sure) if the comments on this page were limited to the thoughts and memories of the victims. Mourning a lost loved one is more important right now than blaming or defending a bar. If your intentions are to blame people for the death of another then go find a Central Florida drinking story and argue on that page please.
RIP John and Jose
To so called “Your Best Source”
Dude, are you an attorney or something? If you are looking for a case, forget it… move on….Who gives a crap about the bar!!!! Give it a rest… You don’t even have your facts straight!! If your sources are so great why don’t you put your real name so everyone knows who you are?? Get off this page. It is for the grieving family and friends not ambulance chasers!!
“Your Best Source”…Could you please just leave this commenting blog? You are even saying the truth. Just leave this site & go post your hatred for this bartender that apparently dissed you elsewhere.
Funeral Request:
Our family will be doing a slide show at Johns Funeral.
If anyone has any pictures of John, we would greatly appreciate it if they would email them to us.
Busciglio@me.com
Please send them ASAP. We will continue to accept pictures however, the final draft for the slide show will be Tuesday @12:00pm.
If you have any questions, please call Tammy Busciglio 813-967-0073.
May God Bless all of you and keep you safe.
Love the Grosso and Busciglio Family
John was my cousin, he will be missed dearly throughout our family and we appreciate everyones prayers and support. Please keep us in your prayers.
Love,
Ronnie Barcena
Everybody is truely missing you! Its hard to sleep knowing how much pain our family is in. You need to look out for your mom she really needs you right now. Talk to her in her sleep, and send her and the rest of us signs that you’re up there and you’re okay. The boys are so sad and feel as if they lost their big, intimidating, fun, loving cousin John. It has not hit everybody yet they are waiting to wake up from this nightmare. We love you! Rest in peace John. You will never be forgotten you always were the center of attention and that will not change.
You are our angel now!
Funeral Services for John William Grosso III
Stowers Funeral Home
401 West Brandon Blvd.
Brandon, Fl. 33511
(813) 689-1211
Visitation:
(Tuesday) October 20, 2009
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Funeral Services:
(Wednesday) October 21, 2009
10:00 a.m.
John was our Nephew. He was a great man and he will be tremendously missed. John was a unique individual and he had the world at his finger tips. He would have been successful at anything he did.
Our family is tremendously saddened. It is hard to believe this has happened to our family. This did not have to happen! We keep thinking these things are supposed to happen to other people, not us! We are all still in shock. We miss him so much!
Our lives will never be the same without him. These upcoming holidays will never be the same! We love him and will always long to have him back in our lives!
We pray that God will help us through this terrible time!
Take the time to tell the ones you love how you feel! Let them know how much they are loved. Live for today for tomorrow may never come!
We love you John and you will be in our hearts always……
Love Tio David and Tia Tammy
Whom ever “your best source” is, is a jackass. Obviously this person care more about the down fall of a bar than they care about the lives were lost. For the record they left the bar with a sober driver. whom ever posted that comment I suggest that you remove it IMMEDIATELY. You have completely disrespected the ones lost and the ones morning for them by posting such an IGNORANT comment. Who ever this is you are a piece of ****
Both of these guys were very close to my heart. I have known John since 5th grade, and since then, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without a smile on his face. Jose had become a good friend of mine in high school…and since then our friendship had just grown stronger and stronger at every turn. If you ever had a chance to read any of his writing….you would know his words could crackl the sky.He was very compassionate and strong hearted. Both of these guys could always have a good time and in turn cause everyone around them to have the same. They are both loved and will be miss by many many people who loved them dearly. I love you both. I know you’re having a good with the big man right now.
John Grosso was not only my roommate, one of my best friends, but he was also a brother to me. I have lived with Grosso for two years and there was nothing that could stop him from having a good time. There was also nothing that could stop him from backing up myself or any of his friends if it ever came down to it. We may not have seen eye to eye in all things but he is the greatest brother I never had. John was an only child but I know he considered me and all of his closest friends his brother. There are truly not enough words that can describe John or his personality because he was truly unique. I know that he is probably in a better place, but I also know his life was one that was taken WAY too soon. Everybody says this about young people who lose there lives, and I don’t mean to take away from that at all. The only thing I now have to hold on to are the memories of his unmistakable laugh, his incredible sense of humor, his sly little comments, certain looks that were so predictable when you would ask or say certain things to him, but most of all I will never forget was his smile that could take any anger out of the coldest of hearts. I love you John Grosso, and you will forever be in my heart! Rest in Peace Fin and one day I will see you on the other side.