Chelsea Brooke Torres, a 21-year-old UCF student, was killed early Sunday morning while driving her 2001 Volkswagen, Torres’ friends confirmed to KnightNews.com.
Police told Local 6 she was heading the wrong way on Vineland Road — driving east in the westbound lane — around 3:15 a.m. near the Turnpike overpass. Then, Torres, who was not wearing a seatbelt, crashed head on into another car. She was pronounced dead there in the road, just hours into her 21st birthday.
Elvis Felix, the driver of the other car, was wearing his seatbelt, and was taken to Orlando Regional, complaining of back and neck pain.
KnightNews.com contacted Torres’ roommate, Sydney Rae Sarcomo, who said they both lived together for about five months. Sarcomo said Torres had been attending Tallahassee Community College for the past two years, but had started UCF’s hospitality school this fall.
Torres and her friends were supposed to get together tonight at Howl At the Moon, a piano bar on International Drive to celebrate her birthday. Instead, they spent the day posting goodbye messages on Facebook, and trying to figure out how to cope with their friend being taken away on the same day they planned to celebrate how far she’d come in 21 years.
“She and I went to Dr. Phillips High School together where we both cheered together for three years,” Sarcomo told KnightNews.com. “She graduated in ’08. We have been friends for 6 years.”
Even though Torres wouldn’t be there, her friends still wanted to meet up. “I’m pretty sure we should al still go orat least do something in memory of Chelsea tonight,” Chris Silveira posted on the Facebook event page called “Chelsea’s 21st !!!!”
Torres’ friends did end up getting together to celebrate her birthday tonight, but decided to meet up at her apartment instead of the bar. The focus, according to the Facebook page, would not be on alcohol, but on their friend.
“You are more than welcome to bring food but I would appreciate it if we could stay away from the alcohol,” Sarcomo wrote on the 21st birthday Facebook event.
Friends of Torres, from as far back as Elementary school, are also meeting up on her facebook page, logging on to to say Happy Birthday — and goodbye.
“I still have the valentine’s day card you gave me in 5th grade ♥ All I can think about is doing front handsprings on the ymca lawn with you for hours. You’re going to be ridiculously missed, happy birthday RIP ♥,” Jessica Cole posted.
Sarcomo told KnightNews.com Torres wasn’t drunk before the crash, and had been visiting with friends and family, including her mother, after attending the Dr. Phillips High School state championship football game.
Sarcomo said Torres decided to drive home to sleep in her own bed, before her big 21st birthday party the next day. She suspected the fog could have played a role in driving the wrong way.
Orlando police haven’t yet released any details of their investigation regarding why Torres was driving the wrong way. Once we get more information, we will post updates.
