A 46-year-old West Palm Beach woman is facing a manslaughter charge after investigators say she got behind the wheel despite knowing she could suffer a seizure at any moment, triggering a seven-vehicle pileup that killed a 71-year-old man on South Military Trail. Elizabeth Marie Romero Diaz was driving a 2010 Mazda CX-7 on July 15, 2025, when she failed to stop at a red light near Westgate Avenue and slammed into the back of a stopped 2019 Chevrolet Trax, setting off a chain-reaction crash that tore through five additional vehicles.
According to The Boca Raton Tribune, the Chevrolet Trax was driven by Louis A. Vanegas-Velez of Lake Worth, who was wearing his seatbelt when the force of the impact pushed his vehicle into another car and across lanes onto the sidewalk. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. At least five other people were involved in the crash, including two 18-year-olds and a 5-year-old child who suffered serious injuries; one other person had minor injuries and another was uninjured, the outlet reported.
According to WPEC, Romero Diaz told investigators she believed she had blacked out before the crash and had experienced a seizure behind the wheel. The station reported that she had been involved in an earlier crash on Military Trail weeks before the deadly collision, one that was attributed to a medical episode, and that she had been prescribed anti-seizure medication days beforehand but never picked it up.
She Asked a Family Member to Ride Along
The station's report states that on the morning of the deadly crash, Romero Diaz asked a family member to ride with her because she was worried she could have an attack or seizure while driving. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigators determined she was aware of her seizure condition and the risk of another episode behind the wheel, and that she had previously acknowledged experiencing a seizure while driving in the past, per the same account.
Investigators concluded that her decision to drive despite the known risk amounted to culpable negligence, and she now faces a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence in connection with Vanegas-Velez's death. She was booked into Palm Beach County Jail, the outlet reported, after being taken to St. Mary's Medical Center along with several others from the crash.
Why Prosecutors Didn't Treat This as a Medical Emergency
Florida law generally shields drivers from liability when a crash results from a sudden, unexpected medical episode. But that defense collapses when a driver already knew about a diagnosed condition or skipped prescribed medication, according to Leppard Law. Manslaughter by culpable negligence under Florida Statute § 782.07 requires proof of grossly reckless conduct showing disregard for human life, and the charge does not require prosecutors to prove premeditation or intent to kill, per ADL Law. It is a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in state prison, 15 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine.
Florida's own regulations set a high bar for drivers with seizure disorders. Under Florida Administrative Code Rule 15A-5.004, someone with a history of seizures or epilepsy generally must remain seizure-free for at least six months under regular medical supervision before the state's Medical Advisory Board will consider issuing or reinstating a license, with a baseline two-year seizure-free window unless the board reconsiders sooner. Drivers taking anti-epileptic medications are also required to maintain therapeutic blood levels of those drugs to legally keep driving, a standard that medical reviewers routinely check through blood testing.
Another Fatal Chapter on a Dangerous Corridor
The crash adds to a grim pattern along Military Trail, which Hoodline has reported includes five intersections that recorded 417 crashes in a single year. The corridor has produced a string of fatal collisions, including a West Palm Beach medical episode crash.
Countywide, preliminary state traffic safety data shows Palm Beach County recorded 25,349 motor vehicle crashes in 2025, resulting in 144 fatal collisions and 156 traffic deaths, even as fatal crashes fell by nearly 25 percent year over year. St. Mary's Medical Center, where several victims of this crash were treated, operates one of only two Level I Trauma Centers in the county.
