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Patrol Spokesman: Wrong-Way Driver Had Beer In SUV

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

Updated: 09/11/2008 02:38 pm

TAMPA - Jennifer O'Boyle was a day shy of her 25th birthday when she was killed after a car going the wrong way on the Selmon Crosstown Expressway caused a fatal pileup.

O'Boyle died at the scene of Wednesday's crash, about a half-mile east of the 78th Street toll plaza, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Summer Moll, her 4-year-old daughter, was also in the car and is in critical condition at an area hospital with a shattered leg and swelling or bleeding in her brain, highway patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said.

"They had to drill a hole in her head to relieve pressure," Gaskins said.

O'Boyle's mother, Tammy Rosian, and stepfather, Arthur Rosian, were interviewed at home in the Brandon area. "If everyone can say a prayer for her, I'd appreciate it," Tammy Rosian said of her granddaughter.

Tammy Rosian, said she hopes the driver of the other car knows what she did.

A 2008 Honda sport utility vehicle driven by Cheryl Maria Riemann, 25, of Ruskin hit O'Boyle's car, Gaskins said. Riemann remains in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Troopers say Riemann had beer in a cup holder in the SUV and on the floor of the passenger side. Authorities are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the accident, Gaskins said. Investigators are awaiting toxicology results. Gaskins would not elaborate on how much beer was found.

Arthur Rosian, 46, said his stepdaughter was a single mom who worked as a waitress at Cracker Barrel in Valrico. When the crash happened, he said, O'Boyle was headed to Treasure Island to spend a couple of days with her boyfriend.

"Jennifer is an easygoing person, happy-go-lucky," Rosian said.

O'Boyle grew up in Chicago but moved to the Tampa Bay area about three years ago. She had taken some courses to become a medical assistant.

Rosian said it has been "traumatic" for his family since the crash.

"It's just one of those things you always hear about but don't think it'll happen to you," he said.

An investigation is ongoing into why Riemann was driving east on the Crosstown's westbound lanes and which ramp she used to get on the expressway, troopers said.

The highway patrol has asked for surveillance video footage that can show where Riemann entered the expressway, Gaskins said. Investigators hope a camera at a toll booth may have recorded an image or video, Gaskins said.

O'Boyle, her daughter and Riemann all were wearing seatbelts, according to a highway patrol report.

The crash occurred at 2:18 p.m. on the expressway's westbound lower deck, according to the patrol, which provided these details:

Riemann's SUV first was seen traveling the wrong way by witnesses on the west side of the 78th Street toll plaza. On the Palm River Road overpass, the SUV crashed into O'Boyle's 1998 Pontiac, which was westbound.

O'Boyle's car spun into the path of a 2005 Honda van driven by Munir Humera of Tampa before stopping on the road's shoulder. Two more vehicles struck Humera's van. She and the other two drivers were not seriously hurt and were treated at the scene.

The highway patrol estimated damage to Riemann's SUV at $20,000, O'Boyle's Pontiac at $10,000, Humera's van at $10,000 and the other two vehicles at $2,000 each.

Portions of the Crosstown were closed for more than four hours while authorities investigated the wreckage and cleared the scene.

Riemann is expected to make a full recovery, Gaskins said. Investigators are waiting until she is treated to interview her.

"She's got a lot to answer for," Gaskins said. "It's tragic."

Riemann does not have criminal records in Hillsborough or Pinellas counties, records show.

Tribune reporter Ray Reyes and News Channel 8 reporter Samara Sodos contributed to this report.

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