Four Children Headed on Vacation Killed After Uncle Stops on Highway to Photograph “Florida Welcomes You” Sign

A New York man is behind bars after allegedly causing a crash that killed his niece and three nephews during a Florida vacation.

Marvin Redondo-Funes faces four counts of aggravated manslaughter of a child and driving with a suspended license causing great bodily injury, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) announced. According to authorities, Redondo-Funes drove his girlfriend and four children, ages 10, 12, and two 14-year-olds, on a July 2023 road trip from New York to Florida. At 4 a.m. on July 1st, near the Georgia-Florida border, the 25-year-old reportedly slowed his vehicle to 1 or 2 mph to take a photo of the “Florida Welcomes You” sign on Interstate 95. The posted speed limit there is 70 mph.

The sudden slowdown led to a rear-end collision, with Redondo-Funes’ vehicle taking a severe hit. Paramedics pronounced three of the children dead at the scene. The fourth died in the hospital two days later. Troopers noted three of the children were not wearing seat belts, and the back seat was overcrowded, designed to hold three passengers rather than four.

“A picture is never worth a human life,” troopers later posted on Twitter.

Redondo-Funes, whose license was suspended by court order, admitted to driving. He and his girlfriend were not seriously injured, nor was the driver of the other vehicle. Authorities arrested Redondo-Funes in New York and extradited him to Florida on November 2nd. He is being held at the Nassau County Jail on a $270,016 bond.

The four children were en route to Miami for what was supposed to be a vacation.

“It’s a tragedy beyond words,” authorities said, highlighting the preventable nature of the crash.