UPDATE 9/19 KnightNews.com has learned new information about the man FHP said owns the truck troopers suspect crashed into several vehicles on the lower level of the Sterling Apartments garage and then was left “abandoned’ on the top floor.
A UCF spokesman confirmed Christian Manuel Sanchez, who FHP said owns the truck, applied to UCF but never enrolled. It’s not clear why he didn’t.
We then checked with Valencia Community College to see if Sanchez is a student there, and Lucy Boudet confirmed he is a Valencia student with a current degree program of “AA-General.”
While FHP says Sanchez owns the suspect vehicle, they have not said he was the driver at the time of the crash. A spokesman told KnightNews.com last week that troopers were hoping to meet with Sanchez as part of their crash investigation to figure out who was behind the wheel. We haven’t heard whether that meeting has taken place.
KnightNews.com has been in touch with the students whose cars were damaged during this crash. One victim told us Sterling employees let them know where to get a rental car. The victim, who declined to appear on camera, was waiting for an estimate on how much she may recover in damages when we checked with her last week.
SEE SLIDESHOW OF DAMAGE FROM OUR FACEBOOK FAN
UPDATE 9/17: After FHP troopers identified the owner of the suspected vehicle involved in the crash of five cars at the Sterling Apartments as Christian Manuel Sanchez, with a date of birth of 11/29/90, KnightNews.com checked with UCF to run his name to see if he is a student.
A spokesman replied to KnightNews.com saying, “He is not a UCF student.”
Troopers told KnightNews.com they were trying to track down Sanchez to talk to him about the accident. Although troopers told us charges are pending against the driver, it is not clear at this point who the driver was. We have a call out to Troopers to find out if they ever got the chance to talk to Sanchez, and will update you when we find more.
Several residents of Sterling Apartments that KnightNews.com talked to told us the owner of the truck does live there. An e-mail and text message sent to the vehicle owner’s mother asking her to explain why she claimed what FHP told us about the vehicle being abandoned on the top floor was inaccurate has not been returned — days later.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
EARLIER COVERAGE:
KnightNews.com got multiple reports of a crash overnight in the new Sterling Apartments parking garage, which reportedly caused damage to several vehicles.
We checked with Florida Highway Patrol Wednesday, and a spokeswoman confirmed the crash happened just after midnight.
A 2007 Dodge pickup truck smashed into five parked vehicles on the 3rd floor. The driver of the pickup truck then abandoned the truck on the top floor, troopers told KnightNews.com.
“A 2007 dodge pickup truck struck five parked vehicles on the 3rd floor,” FHP Sgt. Kim Montes wrote in an e-mail to KnightNews.com. “The driver of the pickup truck abandoned the truck on the top floor. We are still looking for the registered owner.”
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Montes identified the man troopers are looking for as Christian Manuel Sanchez of Palmetto Bay whose date of birth is 11/29/90. FHP initially mistakenly told KnightNews.com Sanchez was born in 1960.
It’s not clear if Sanchez was driving the vehicle, or if it was someone else behind the wheel. But Montes did make something very clear in her e-mail: “Charges are pending against the driver.”
According to an eyewitness report to KnightNews.com, the truck may have taken a curve while shifting, then hit several cars which in turn crashed into several others.
It’s not clear what — if any — role alcohol could have played at this point.
The eyewitness reports to KnightNews.com indicate the driver ditched the truck on the top floor of the garage. The scene of the crash was several floors underneath that floor where both witnesses and FHP said the vehicle was “abandoned” by the driver. Witnesses told KnightNews.com it appeared it was left on a level much higher than the scene of the crash in an attempt to create some distance before the driver apparently left the area.
A woman called KnightNews.com after the story was posted who identified herself as Maria Sanchez, the mother of the man who owns the car. She told KnightNews.com the information about the vehicle being abandoned was inaccurate. KnightNews.com responded to her by email explaining that’s the official information FHP told us and offered her a chance to write a statement explaining her son’s side. We have not yet heard back from her several hours later.
If you have any information about this crash you should call FHP. You can also text information for our story to our tip line at 407-5-Tip-UCF and e-mail your pictures or videos to news@knightnews.com.
To view a slide show of the pictures, click the next page link below.
