Cab Driver's Family Wants Answers In Deadly Crash
DANIA BEACH (CBSMiami) — The family of a taxi cab driver killed in an early morning crash Monday want answers about the circumstances that led to the deadly collision with a pickup truck.
Frantz Joseph, 53, was killed in the crash. His daughter, Rose, 16, is coming to terms with the knowledge that her beloved father will never again walk in the front door.
"He was everything," she told CBS 4's Carey Codd. "I'm gonna miss him. I'm gonna miss the daily routines."
Joseph's son, Junior, just 14-years-old, says he took the call from investigators that morning and learned his father was dead.
"It felt like my heart dropped and I went outside and thought about it and said, It's gonna be ok," he told CBS 4's Carey Codd.
Junior and the rest of the family said Frantz worked two jobs--sleeping only a few hours a day--to provide for his wife and three kids.
"He wanted us to be more," Junior said. "To have a better life than he did."
The family has lots of questions including how the occupants of the truck, Emmanuel Bruce, 37, and Sheena Rogers, 28, were able to be on the road. Their driving records show lengthy histories of trouble including charges of driving without a license and not having proof of insurance. No one has been arrested and it's not clear who was behind the wheel of the truck when the accident happened.
Reverend Elucier Liberal says Frantz was a person you could depend on.
"He was a wonderful guy," Liberal said. "He was an honest guy, a guy you could trust."
Junior says his mother is taking his father's death especially hard.
"I don't like seeing my mom cry so when she cries, I feel like I did something so I try to cheer her up sometimes," he said.
When the collision happened, the taxi was heading southbound on Federal Highway and the pickup truck was heading west on Sheridan Street, according to the Sheriff's Office. The impact was so powerful, both cars ended up in the parking lot of a nearby gas station, which was closed. Two additional occupants were inside the taxi, Jessica Johnson, 20, and Jesse Johnson, 22.
The Joseph family is struggling to get by and Rose is already talking about getting a job to help pay the bills. If you want to help the family you can contact Neighbors 4 Neighbors at neighbors4neighbors.org to make a donation.
