Driver facing charges after fatal crash involving Lake Placid teen: FHP
A suspected intoxicated driver has been taken into custody for a fatal accident that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old girl earlier this month in Highlands County. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that on May 22, 2025, Thomas Raulerson, 44, was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of US Highway 98 in a construction area around 4 p.m. Simultaneously, two SUVs were traveling southbound in the same lanes. When the first SUV noticed Raulerson driving in the wrong direction, the driver braked, veered off the road, and hit a construction barrier. The driver of the second SUV, the 16-year-old girl, also braked upon seeing the SUV in front of her go off the road. Unfortunately, Raulerson's vehicle collided head-on with the teenager's SUV, resulting in her death at the scene. Raulerson's blood alcohol level was recorded at .445, which is significantly above the legal limit. On May 30, 2025, Raulerson was arrested by troopers for DUI manslaughter and two counts of DUI property damage.
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