Aventura Teen Killed In Fiery Crash With Classmate

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Speed may have played a factor in a fiery wreck that killed two teenagers days before their high school graduation. The teens were traveling in a Tesla S Tuesday night that slammed into a concrete wall and burst into flames. One of the teenagers was from Aventura.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it planned to investigate the crash primarily because the Tesla was equipped with an electric battery.

"The NTSB does not, at this time, anticipate autopilot being a part of this investigation," officials said in announcing the investigation Wednesday. "This NTSB investigation primarily focus on emergency response in relation to the electric vehicle battery fire, including fire department activities and towing operations. The team of four is expected to arrive in Florida Wednesday evening."

The crash occurred shortly before 7 p.m. in the 1300 block of Seabreeze Boulevard, according to Fort Lauderdale police.

"The speed of which the vehicle was traveling is believed to have been a factor in the traffic crash," according to Detective Tracy Figone of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Eighteen-year-old Edgar Monserratt Martinez of Aventura was identified as the front-seat passenger in the gray 2014 Tesla. The driver was identified as Barrett Riley of Fort Lauderdale. Riley was several weeks away from celebrating his 19th birthday.

Both teenagers were declared dead at the scene of the crash, according to Figone, who said that a third teenager survived the crash. Riley and Martinez were seniors at the Pine Crest School, which has campuses in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.

"The backseat passenger was ejected from the vehicle on impact and transported to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment," Figone said. He was identified as 18-year-old Alexander Berry of Fort Lauderdale.

Pine Crest School officials said they are committed to helping fellow students through the grieving process.

"This is a phone call that no one ever wants," said school president Dana Markham. "I'm a parent and a grandparent, a teacher and part of this Pine Crest community. And our hearts just break for the families."

In March, Tesla announced a recall involving a power steering component in all Model S vehicles built before April of 2016. But the automaker said there had been no "injuries or accidents" as a result of the issue.

"We have observed excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts, though only in very cold climates, particularly those that frequently use calcium or magnesium road salts, rather than sodium chloride (table salt)," according to the automaker. "Nonetheless, Tesla plans to replace all early Model S power steering bolts in all climates worldwide to account for the possibility that the vehicle may later be used in a highly corrosive environment."

NTSB Chairman Robert S. Sumwalt said that his organization has a history of investigating emerging transportation technologies, such as lithium ion battery fires in commercial aviation, as well as a fire involving the lithium ion battery in a Chevrolet Volt in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The NTSB is currently investigating a fire involving the transportation of hydrogen gas for fuel cell vehicles," Sumwalt explained. "The goal of these investigations is to understand the impact of these emerging transportation technologies when they are part of a transportation accident.”

Major investigations and those involving fatalities, generally take 12 to 24 months to complete, according to NTSB.

Fort Lauderdale police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or taken video to contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Paul Williams at 954-828-5755.

Photo courtesy Fort Lauderdale Police Department