POINCIANA, Fla. — A 25-year-old driver without a valid license is accused of fatally striking a Florida teen who was riding her bike to school Wednesday morning in Polk County.
Micaela Coronel, 25, is from Argentina but had been staying in Kissimmee, according to law enforcement.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Coronel was driving a minivan and fatally hit 13-year-old Mariana Perez Borroto around 7:50 a.m. in the Poinciana/Kissimmee area.
Borroto, an eighth-grade student, was on her way to Lake Marion Creek Middle School. She was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando, where she died.
Investigators say Coronel has been in the U.S. on a "visitor pass" since October 2018.
"She does not have a Florida driver's license, and deputies determined through their investigation that she does not have a valid driver's license at all," the Polk County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement.
Authorities say roughly 80 percent of her windshield was covered in condensation at the time of the crash, obstructing her view.
Deputies say Coronel has been charged with a felony count of operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license causing death, and authorities have alerted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"This suspect should not have even been behind the wheel of a vehicle," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "This is an awful, senseless tragedy that should never have occurred. This beautiful child should be turning 14 years old in just two weeks, but for this suspect's illegal actions. Mariana's family and friends are in our prayers."
Lake Marion Creek Middle School Principal Johna Jozwiak released the following statement:
"Our hearts are broken today. We are devastated by the loss of a very special member of our Lake Marion Creek Middle family. Mariana was a bright and sweet-natured girl who possessed a very polite and calm manner. She enjoyed studying history and loved spending her free time sketching in notebooks. We are devastated by this tragic news. Counselors are available at school for students and staff members. We have also rescheduled the rest of this week's Florida Standards Assessments testing to next week."
What other people are reading right now:
- Their lives were turned upside down because of a DNA test. Family secrets can't stay secret forever
- Man accused of deadly road rage after shooting into BMW that crashed into tree
- Florida family sues Legoland, says park embarrassed their son
- 13-year-old sells Xbox and does yard work to buy his mom a car
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.