Community Mourns Loss Of 16-Year Old Killed In SW Miami-Dade Crash
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The 16-year-old son of the University of Miami baseball pitching coach was killed in a crash over the weekend and another teen was injured.
Ari Arteaga died near the intersection of Southwest 87th Avenue and 64th Street when he lost control of the Jeep he was driving and crashed into a concrete power pole around 9:45 p.m. Saturday night.
Ari is the son of a former Miami Hurricanes baseball star and current UM pitching coach J.D. Arteaga.
Ari was also a standout athlete and was on the Columbus High School football team and baseball team.
Ari's girlfriend Indira Rambarran was the passenger in the Jeep. She attends our Lady of Lourdes Academy, and she suffered "incapacitating" injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Rambarran is listed in serious condition at Kendall Regional Medical Center.
The impact of the crash was so violent that rescue crews had to cut into the car.
According to FHP, Ari, who was going into 11th grade, bumped the median with his Jeep Wrangler as he headed down Southwest 87th Avenue. The Jeep swerved across the avenue, over the curb and the sidewalk and into a concrete utility pole, knocking out power to the neighborhood.
FHP's accident report said both Ari and Indira were wearing seat belts. No blood alcohol or drug tests were done.
Statements by Athletics Director Blake James and baseball head coach Gino DiMare were released by the university.
In a Facebook post, Columbus football coach Chris Merritt canceled Sunday night's Midnight Madness celebratory start of football practice.
He posted this: "We ask as a Columbus family we pray for the repose of the soul of Ari, and we pray that the Lord provide comfort, strength, and peace to Ari's family and friends during this difficult time."
Meantime back at the crash site, the memorial for Ari was growing ever so slightly, 16-year-old Tyler Monzon came to leave a teddy bear for the friend he grew up with.
"It was like a knife to the stomach finding out, unexpected and too much to bear, I drive this road everyday, I felt like I had to come and leave something to show him how much I care," he said.
