Video of a Jan. 30, 2023 collision in Lauderdale Lakes is now evidence in the trial of Stephanie A. Magri, who prosecutors say left the scene after a Tesla struck Sarah Castro, launching her into a parked Mustang. Castro suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal fracture and later died. Magri pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of a crash involving death and other charges; her defense contends she left unaware anyone had been hit. The case is being tried in Broward County before Judge Andrew Siegel.
Driver Goes on Trial After Wheelchair User Thrown Into Parked Car in Lauderdale Lakes Crash
Image Credit: WPLG Local 10 / YouTube.
Video evidence is now central to the prosecution of a South Florida driver accused of leaving the scene after a violent Jan. 30, 2023 crash that launched a woman who had been standing behind her wheelchair into a parked car. The victim, identified as Sarah Castro, suffered a traumatic brain injury and a spinal fracture and later died from her injuries.
Crash and Injuries
The collision occurred in the 3300 block of North State Road 7 in Lauderdale Lakes. Local 10 reported that a silver Honda Accord driven by Stephanie A. Magri struck a white Tesla Model 3, which then hit Castro. Surveillance or bystander video shows Castro being propelled into a blue Ford Mustang parked nearby. Fire rescue crews transported her to Broward Health Medical Center, where she was treated for severe head and spinal injuries before her death.
Charges, Arrest and Trial
Magri was arrested in July 2023 and pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to multiple counts, including leaving the scene of a crash involving death, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, and driving while her license was revoked. The case is being heard in Broward County before Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel. Prosecutors contend she left the scene on foot after the collision and that doing so is a criminal offense given the fatal outcome.
Defense Argument and Evidence
Magri’s attorney, Matthew Karim, acknowledges his client departed the crash site but argues she did so unaware that Castro had been struck. That distinction—whether Magri knew someone had been hit—is the central focus of the defense. Video of the impact has been entered into evidence and is expected to play a key role in testimony and cross-examination.
"She had no idea," Karim told Local 10, a point the defense stresses as critical to the case.
Relevant Background
Court records show Magri faced a separate driving-related arrest less than two weeks before the Lauderdale Lakes crash. A Broward County docket lists a Jan. 19, 2023 arrest in Coconut Creek charging her with driving while license suspended habitual (a third-degree felony) and an unlawful-speed violation. Prosecutors also say Magri had prior convictions for driving with a suspended license in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2022.
The trial remained underway as court proceedings continued. Prosecutors will aim to prove Magri knew someone had been injured and unlawfully left the scene; the defense will argue she lacked that knowledge. The outcome will hinge on witness testimony, the video evidence and legal interpretations of what Magri knew and when.
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