Isaiah Baker Castellano Killed in Truck Accident in Clearwater, FL
Clearwater, FL -- February 17, 2023, Isaiah Baker Castellano was killed following an accident where a semi-truck hit him.
Investigators said that the incident happened at around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Old Coachman Road.
It appears that 19-year-old Isaiah Baker Castellano was on a skateboard along westbound lanes. He reportedly was in a crosswalk moving along a green light at the time. While crossing, police say a semi-truck ran a red light, hitting Castellano.
EMS took Castellano to a hospital where his injuries ultimately proved fatal. Police did not say if they were considering charges or citations. Investigations are ongoing at this time.
To be rather blunt here, I find it challenging to envision a scenario where this happens without the truck driver making a huge mistake. If the allegations are true, this kid was just minding his business in a crosswalk while this supposedly trained professional who's expected to be even safer and more skilled than the average driver somehow failed to do just about the most basic thing any driver can do: stop for a red light. So what the hell made this incident different?
Have authorities pulled cell phone records? Video evidence? Recorded witness statements and their information for future questioning? What about the history of the truck driver and their company? Has this sort of thing happened before? Are there preexisting issues like a lack of training or poor background checks which made something like this more likely?
As I said, the most likely explanation is that the truck driver messed up. It's just a matter of finding out how and why. Obviously, though, a proper investigation must also consider unusual possibilities. Is it likely that the truck driver did nothing wrong? Of course not, but it is possible. I'm not suggesting blaming anyone without clear evidence they did something wrong. But if I consider the hundreds of families I've helped in similar situations, I can't recall a single incident like this where things didn't end with someone facing serious consequences.
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