Florida Keys News
Monday, November 30, 2009
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1 killed in 3-car crash

One person was killed and several were injured in a three-vehicle accident near 23rd Street and U.S. 1 in Marathon Saturday night.

According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, Pierson A. Villalobos, 28, of Baypoint, was traveling north on U.S. 1 at a high rate of speed around 9:23 p.m. when his 1999 Ford swerved into oncoming traffic and struck a 2009 Toyota driven by Mercedes Diaz, 57, of Marathon and then hit a 2002 Chevy driven by Deborah L. Mangrum, 42, of Lusk, Wyo., who was traveling southbound behind the Toyota.

Mangrum was pronounced dead on the scene.

Reports say Villalobos' vehicle went airborne due to the high rate of speed and flipped end over end before coming to rest. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the incident, FHP reports indicate.

Five people were hurt in the crash including: Villalobos and his passenger, Yendel N. Garcia, 32, of Marathon; Diaz and her passenger, Jordi Torna, 10, of Marathon; and Mangrum's passenger, Christopher L. Jennings, 34, of Vacaville, Calif.

All five were transported to Fishermen's Hospital, and Villalobos later was airlifted from Fishermen's Hospital to Miami's Ryder Trauma Center, reports say.

No information on his condition was available Sunday night.

The accident closed the highway for about an hour and partially obstructed traffic for several hours, reports say.

Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.

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a message for my brother

hello, my name is Jeff Jennings and i am chris Jennings brother. I just found this site, thanks to a friend doing a little bit of reasearch and felt compelled to respond to all of your coments. first of all i wanted to say that i was there when chris passed and had the opertunaty to visit the comunity for a fiew weeks after his death. I want to thank everybody for there suport and love for chris and debbie. I hope that this post doesn't come out as a ramble, I want to post sompthing but i am not shure what. I know chris ment a lot to a lot of people. He seamed to make quick fiends wherever he went. I wish i could say that things are getting easer as time goes by, but ttonight, as i wright this i am having a hard time. I am realy stugeling with some isues with tis. Do i do as my faith requiers and forgive this slimeball, Or do i do anythign in my power to make his life as hellish as he has ours? I wonder if this guy will ever realize what he did? I have heard that this slimeball was even arogently bragging after the acedent that he was going to get away with it! I guess the big question for all of us who have been so deply effected by this sencless tagidy are asking is WHY? i realy wish i had an answer. I wish there was somnpthing ti could do to make this guy suffer as much as we all have, but we cant, all we can do is pray that the corts do the right thing in this case but that is out of our hands. I wish that i had the power to sintence this guy, I would only need one word. DEATh. anyway i am rambling, but i wanted to log in and let you all know that as chris's brother i apreciate all of your prares concerns and postings.

Mr. Villabos

I have never met you but I hate you because you killed my best friends brother. Was your stupid night of getting drunk @ the club worth hurting all those people? I hope you burn in hell and that god spares you no mercy.

to chris

i am shocked... chris was a very good friend...no, family!!like a brother and i will miss you forever man,you still had so much to live,so many good times to be had...i am deeply saddened that you were taken away so early...rest in peace brother...and debbie too, even though i never met her in person, i know they were both awesome,nice and other good things that words cannot express,this is a great loss to all family and friends. Adriano Dossantos

to chris

i am shocked... chris was a very good friend...no, family!!like a brother and i will miss you forever man,you still had so much to live,so many good times to be had...i am deeply saddened that you were taken away so early...rest in peace brother...and debbie too, even though i never met her in person, i know they were both awesome,nice and other good things that words cannot express,this is a great loss to all family and friends. Adriano Dossantos

missed forever

I've know Deb for many years. Not all of them were the best but she taught us all to let the small things go and focus on the good. She was like know one you'll ever meet again. One thing Deb did was to leave a little piece of herself with everyone she met. I feel very blessed to have had the chance to be her friend. Deb you will be missed and loved forever!

I WILL LOVE YOU ANDMISS YOU EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!

There is not enough words to tell everyone how wonderful and amazing Debbie was...and what a tragic loss this is too so many people!

You will be missed, Deb

Deb was a good friend and one of the best people I knew. She always had a smile for everyone and if you were having a bad day, she always made it seem better. She was always happy and bubbly and it was infectious. She had a special spark of life in her that has not been put out by her death. It will shine forever in my heart because she called me her friend.

If he was drunk, that's tragic.

It is not any less tragic if he was not. He could have been, like far too many of us these days,too talking/texting/distracted to drive.I nearly died last month by a redlight running texter/talker,that was probably stone cold sober.I saved us both by running over a curb and destroying my front end. She drove merrily on... Let's not wait for it to be outlawed while thousands more die. Let us ALL do it NOW. Because it's the only sane thing.Demand, (or plead, whatever works) with family and friends. It may well save thier lives, as well as us innocents out here.Pull over, if you must. Your time is not more important than others lives.(Or your's, for that matter). Please,pay attention to that deadly weapon your "driving".Please,shut up and drive.Please.

I want justice!

I just found out that Chris only has a 1% chance of survival, so he will be taken off of life support tomorrow. I am terribly saddened by this news, although I think we all knew it was coming. Does anyone know what happened to the others involved in the accident? Are Mercedes and Jordi okay? I hope that Pierson pays for what he has done!! You have ruined so many lives because of your stupid and selfish decision, How could you be so careless? You disgust me!

I will miss you Debbie!

I have known Debbie for many years. Her passing is terrible and the world is a lot less beautiful now that she is gone. Words can't describe what a wonderful person Debbie was. She was extremely kind, thoughtful, funny, loving and caring. Her smile could knock you over and any time she entered the room my day was made. She was a great mother and loved her children tremendously. I will miss her. I still can't beleive this has happened.

car crash corrections

Chris was airlifted to Ryder Trauma center,not Villalobos he was released ok. Chris is still in critical condition and in a coma. He and Debbie moved here to Marathon and She was working at Hair Sensations, and Chris worked as a server at Annettes Steak and Lobster House.

1 killed..... too many!

I am saddened to see another life lost on US 1. These deaths are senseless. My cousin was killed on Grassy Key back in 80's due to a drunk driver. Why doesn't FDOT or Monroe county have PSA's and educate the dangers of US 1. I would rather pay $200.00 more a year in taxes to help promote highway safety down here than let Fisherman's Hospital get their hands on my money.

yeah

MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON THEIR PHONES WHILE OF DRIVING!

Cell phone use while driving

should be illegal, personally I pull over and stop when I get a call. This area seems to have a disportionate amount of DUI's, the amount that aren't stopped must be alarming. Combine the two and you have even more potential for an accident. In S.Carolina the bartender can be charged for serving a person who is drunk .Perhaps the same should apply here.

bad driver

dont blame the accedent on alcohol. they said alcohol "might " have been a facter. if alcohol was not a factor would you still be upset? you should be. there are more bad drivers on the road causing accidents than people driving with alcohol in their systems! thank you d.m.v. and the safety councel for handing out drivers licenses like candy. jf

Once again, it's about personal choice. A person makes the

choice to drink and drive, they should (if they survive) spend their life in prison for murder. No one blames alcohol, I don't think. They blame those who refuse to act like adults and behave responsibly.

AND I agree as well about the poor drivers. What happened in the past 20 years to drivers? I've never seen so many awful drivers. I notice they seem to be in the 16 - 40 year age range. Did they stop drivers ed? Are they learning from idiots? They don't know the rules of the road, don't use turn signals, don't obey ANY traffic laws, and are all about texting and talking on their phones instead of driving. We do need a "Shut up and drive" law in Florida!!!! Make it illegal!

car crash

I was informed by witnesses that the driver of the pick up almost hit another car after pulling out of 15th street. The pick up lost control, went accross the road , head on into oncoming traffic at an extreemly high rate of speed. After looking at the autos involved,we should ALL be upset and disgusted ! What is even more disgusting some low life scum bag stole the stuffed animal was placed on the area to show respect and condolences.I don't understand why we are letting this happen to our once safe and peacefull town. These these type of things need to be stopped!

The paper might want to get

The paper might want to get the facts straight. Debbie was 42.

Corrected

The Florida Highway Patrol accident report listed the victim's age as 52. A correction is running in tomorrow's edition.

Horrible News

I am devastated to hear that my close friend Chris Jennings is not expected to make it and that Debbie didn’t survive this wreck. This drunken moron Villalobos ruined so many lives by simply making the wrong decision to drive instead of taking a taxi home, now one of my best friends is in a coma and his girlfriend is dead. Chris was just trying to get home after his girlfriend was picking him up from work. A senseless act of stupidity by this Drunk Driver has caused so much pain in the hearts of my friend’s family. I was blessed by being able to visit my friend Chris just a month ago and now he is possibly gone forever. My heart goes out to the Jennings family and Debbie’s family for their loss. I love you Chris! Brandon Bowman (Sacramento California)

saddened

Chris is my husbands cousin, although they are more like brothers. We are devastated by what has happened to Chris. We are praying that he pulls through, but things are looking very grim. I can not believe that someone made the choice to get behind the wheel drunk, look at what it causes! When will people learn? We love you Chris, I just hope you know how much! Amanda Lenssen

My deepest condolences...

for your loss. I'd lock up all the drunk drivers and throw away the keys. How sad it must be to lose a child to a drunk driver. I cannot even fathom the thought, God forbid. Again, our prayers are with all these families. How devastatingly sad.

We are all sorry for the

We are all sorry for the loss of Debbie and Chris, Friends in Marathon
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