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Team Reels As 'Beautiful Life' Is Cut Short

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By LOIS KINDLE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2008

TAMPA - Two teenagers in town to play in a college soccer showcase left their hotel Friday to get a late night snack. Moments later, Kaitlyn M. Grogan lay dead in the street and Brittany J. Gruber had a fractured skull and other serious injuries.

"They had gone to Albertsons to get something to eat, but they never made it back," said team trainer Paul Allen. He said the girls' teammates - members of FC New York United Tigers from Queens, N.Y. - were in shock from the incident.

"Katie was my best friend," said Julia Volpe, 17. "They Grogan and Gruber had come on an early morning flight with three other girls. We came last night."

"We got in around 11 p.m.," added Amy Sagona, who also called Grogan her best friend. "The others found out about the accident at the airport, but they didn't tell us until we got to the hotel."

The team was staying at the Best Western hotel on Waters Avenue, a short distance from Dale Mabry Highway.

"I just don't know what to say," Volpe said. "I still can't believe it. It doesn't seem real."

The teens were struck by a 2006 Acura driven by Aaron M. Carr, 23, of Temple Terrace as they tried to cross Dale Mabry Highway at Waters Avenue, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. They were running westbound across the southbound lanes of Dale Mabry when they ran into Carr's path. The Acura was headed south in the center lane approaching Waters Avenue on a green light, the highway patrol said.

Teammate Witnesses Accident

Grogan, 18, of Bayside, N.Y., was pronounced dead at the scene of the 9:56 p.m. accident, the highway patrol said. Gruber, 17, of West Islip, N.Y., on Long Island, was taken to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital with head injuries and was reported in serious condition. Her parents, who came down with the team for the tournament, were with her Saturday.

A hospital administrator said Gruber's parents had requested no further information be released.

Coach Saul Cabarcas said he learned of the accident about 10 minutes after it happened. His daughter, Giselle, had been walking just a few steps behind Grogan and Gruber when her friends were struck by the car.

"My daughter called and told me Katy wasn't moving."

Cabarcas said he was proud of the way the players were handling themselves.

"They're doing the best they can," he said. "I admire them because they chose to play earlier today and again this afternoon. They knew Katy would have wanted it that way."

The team played in a tournament at Ed Radice Sports Complex in Citrus Park.

The coach was having a hard time of it himself.

"The hardest part was telling the parents," he said, holding back tears. "It was a tragic accident, and I don't think Carr meant to hit them."

But based on his daughter's account and his survey of the scene, Cabarcas said he felt Carr may have been speeding. He said he saw no skid marks.

Area Roads Rank High For Danger

The Florida Highway Patrol issued no charges pending a homicide investigation, which can take up to 60 days.

"The bottom line is a beautiful life is gone," Cabarcas said. "Katy was a brilliant student and excellent soccer player. She was the star of the team."

Grogan was an honor student at Archbishop Molloy Catholic High School in the Western Jamaica section of Queens. She had played three years on the soccer team and was considered a utility player, which means she played all positions. She intended to become a physical therapist, Cabarcas said.

As of Saturday evening, Grogan's parents were unable to get a flight out of New York to come and claim their daughter's body.

Gruber, who will turn 18 on Monday, is an honor student at West Islip High School. She has been a member of the team for the past two seasons, playing the position of left fullback. Cabarcas reported her condition had stabilized by Saturday afternoon.

Neither Carr nor his passenger, Adam S. Perlman, 19, was injured, the highway patrol said.

According to a private study released in December 2004 by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, pedestrians are three times more likely to be struck and killed on streets in the Tampa Bay area than in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The report said the area's wide, high-speed roads are especially unsafe for walking.

In 2002-03, the Bay area was ranked first for its dangerous roads, with 3.69 deaths per 100,000 people, the study said.

Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553 or lkindle@tampatrib.com.

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