MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – Loved ones of a truck driver killed in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 75 earlier this week are grieving his loss and calling for justice following the arrest of an 18-year-old former minor league baseball player.
Authorities say the crash happened Monday on I-75 in Manatee County when a Ford Mustang driver was allegedly weaving through traffic and struck an SUV. The impact sent the SUV into the path of a semi-truck, causing it to overturn.
The truck driver, identified by family as 34-year-old Stavan Facey, was killed in the crash. Investigators say the Mustang driver initially stopped but then fled the scene.
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Florida Highway Patrol troopers later arrested 18-year-old Jonathan Morales, who they say was behind the wheel of the Mustang. Morales, described by authorities as a former minor league player in the Atlanta Braves organization, now faces charges including vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.
Investigators say he told troopers he did not call police because he was on his way to practice and scared after the crash. His car was later found on Braves property.
For Facey’s family, the loss has been devastating.
“Oh God, I don’t understand why,” his mother, Judy Thomas, said through tears.
She recalled seeing her son less than an hour before the crash. “He hugged me and said, ‘Mama, I will see you tomorrow.’”
Thomas said she told her son to “go with God” before he left for work — words that now haunt her.
“But this time I don’t think God was there,” she said, breaking down.
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While speaking with reporters, Thomas received a call from the medical examiner detailing the extent of her son’s injuries.
“They were telling me his heart and lungs got punched in and his feet were broken … my son,” she said.
Facey’s significant other, Kimberly Johnson, described him as a devoted father of four who would do anything for his family.
“He would literally give you the shirt off his back,” Johnson said. “He is always there for his family and his kids.”
Now, she worries about how their children — including their 2-year-old — will cope without him.
“That was her best friend,” Johnson said, speaking to their young child. “You love Daddy, right?”
Fighting back tears, she added, “I don’t know how I will do it without him.”
In court, a judge set Morales’ bond at $100,000 for each count. As of Wednesday, the jail website listed him as released. He has pleaded not guilty, however in court he was told he will not be able to drive or leave the state once he was released.
Facey’s loved ones say they are holding onto memories as they navigate their grief — and hoping the justice system delivers accountability.
“We just want justice for him,” Johnson said.