Categories: Merritt Island

Dog In Road Causes Car Crash – Kills 19-Year-Old In Merritt Island


MERRITT ISLAND, Florida  — The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting that 19-year-old Sam Crane if Merritt Island died in a motor vehicle accident that occurred at 9:22 p.m. last night near the intersection of North Banana River Drive and Morgan Drive in Merritt Island, Florida.

According to FHP, 69-year-old Barbara Lieberman of Cape Canaveral was driving her 2003 Jaguar northbound on North Banana River Drive when a dog ran out in front of the Jaguar.  Lieberman veered left to avoid hitting the dog and crossed over the double yellow lines.





The front of the Jaguar struck the dog.  The front left portion of the Jaguar struck the left front of a 1984 Chevy pickup driven by Crane.  The impact caused the pickup to overturn and come to a rest on its roof.

According to Brevard County Fire Rescue Public Information Lieutenant Jeffrey Taylor, fire rescue crews were dispatched to the area of 1040 N. Banana River Dr. in Merritt Island for a reported two vehicle collision with possible entrapment.  The first arriving engine reported finding the truck with heavy damage on its roof.  Crane was heavily entrapped.  The Jaguar reportedly had moderate damage.  North Banana River Drive was closed in both directions for about an hour while crews worked to free the victim.
Both Crane and the dog died at the scene.





Crane’s passenger, 17-year-old Laura Hall of Merritt Island suffered minor injuries and was transported to Cape Canaveral Hospital.  Lieberman suffered minor injuries and was not transported to a hospital.

A makeshift memorial is growing at the intersection of Morgan Drive and N. Banana River Drive.

THIS CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND CHARGES ARE PENDING.

View Comments

  • You all are so fast to defend the kid that died because he was "your friend, a good kid, an angle, etc etc etc". Maybe he was...but do you honestly all think the woman really intended to kill a person over a dam dog. Of, wait, ..she drives a Jag so she must be some rich b*tch that didn't want dog blood all over her car. Please, wake the heck up people. When your driving down a road and ANYTHING runs out in front of you, you have a split second to react and almost always the reaction is to swerve in the opposite direction of where the "something" is running into the road from. I've been there......done that. If soomething runs into the road from the left...you swerve right....if it runs into the road from the right...you swerve left. She did nothing wrong. I've worked for the highway department for 29 years and have seen and been at every type of accident imaginable. I've worked with investigators and accident reconstruction.....and in the clean-up and removal process. A 25-30mph crash head on will most certainly do a lot of damage and easily flip a truck.It's a terrible tragedy what happened, but if you all want to put blame......put it to the dogs owner for not keeping it contained.........not the woman in the Jag. I seriously hope none of you ever have to make a split decision to avoid hitting anything. And if this should happen to you and you accidentally kill someone I want you all to remember how fast you all were to place fault here.......My thoughts go out to all those who were affected by this tragedy.

  • The lady was rude!!! She sat in a chair and kept complaining about her new car! She didn't even care about a kid being dead! I was there and was not close to Sam but the way she acted is where she was wrong! She didn't have a heart that's the hardest! R.I.P Sam!

  • It is almost 7 mounths after the accident and not one day goes by without thinking about him! He was like a brother to me i cry every morning, night any time some one says his name! That lady should of had her licence taken away! I go to his cross almost ever week and the 16th of every mounth i miss him so much!'ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG' We have the same birthday but he was 6 years older and he died 15 days after are birthday that we celebrated together! He told on are birthday that he would take me hunting on the 24 of march and i was looking forwad to it than i got the call that he was in an accident and i cried for hours when i woke up i though it was all a dream but when i called him in the morning he didnt answer that is when it hit me! It wasnt a bad dream! RIP SMFC 3-1-93/ 3-16-12 We miss you bro!♥♥♥♥

  • You all are so fast to defend the kid that died because he was "your friend, a good kid, an angle, etc etc etc". Maybe he was...but do you honestly all think the woman really intended to kill a person over a dam dog. Of, wait, ..she drives a Jag so she must be some rich b*tch that didn't want dog blood all over her car. Please, wake the heck up people. When your driving down a road and ANYTHING runs out in front of you, you have a split second to react and almost always the reaction is to swerve in the opposite direction of where the "something" is running into the road from. I've been there......done that. If soomething runs into the road from the left...you swerve right....if it runs into the road from the right...you swerve left. She did nothing wrong. I've worked for the highway department for 29 years and have seen and been at every type of accident imaginable. I've worked with investigators and accident reconstruction.....and in the clean-up and removal process. A 25-30mph crash head on will most certainly do a lot of damage and easily flip a truck.It's a terrible tragedy what happened, but if you all want to put blame......put it to the dogs owner for not keeping it contained.........not the woman in the Jag. I seriously hope none of you ever have to make a split decision to avoid hitting anything. And if this should happen to you and you accidentally kill someone I want you all to remember how fast you all were to place fault here.......My thoughts go out to all those who were affected by this tragedy.

  • The lady was rude!!! She sat in a chair and kept complaining about her new car! She didn't even care about a kid being dead! I was there and was not close to Sam but the way she acted is where she was wrong! She didn't have a heart that's the hardest! R.I.P Sam!

  • It is almost 7 mounths after the accident and not one day goes by without thinking about him! He was like a brother to me i cry every morning, night any time some one says his name! That lady should of had her licence taken away! I go to his cross almost ever week and the 16th of every mounth i miss him so much!'ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG' We have the same birthday but he was 6 years older and he died 15 days after are birthday that we celebrated together! He told on are birthday that he would take me hunting on the 24 of march and i was looking forwad to it than i got the call that he was in an accident and i cried for hours when i woke up i though it was all a dream but when i called him in the morning he didnt answer that is when it hit me! It wasnt a bad dream! RIP SMFC 3-1-93/ 3-16-12 We miss you bro!♥♥♥♥

Copyright 2011-2023 Brevard Times. All Rights Reserved.  Contact Us   Privacy Policy