Joel Law Obituary-Death News; Fla. Dad Killed In Crash After Celebrating 16-Year-Old Daughter’s Birthday
According to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), which PEOPLE was able to obtain, an SUV failed to stop at a stop sign, causing a Nissan Altima to swerve left into the eastbound lanes and collide with a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction. Both vehicles ignited after the impact.
The incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Friday, January 17, at the intersection of County Road 475 and State Road 44 in Sumter County, and left the teen in critical condition after her father was killed in a car accident while they were returning from her birthday celebration.
The 39-year-old driver of the Chevrolet, identified as Joel Law from Oxford, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. A 16-year-old girl, also in the Chevrolet, sustained serious injuries, as did the driver of the Nissan.
The teenager has been named Bryleigh Law, who was with her father after they celebrated her 16th birthday, as reported by WESH.
“It was unimaginable,” stated Bryleigh’s mother, Whitney Law. Bryleigh is currently receiving treatment at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where she is recovering from second-degree burns and multiple fractures, as indicated by a GoFundMe campaign established to assist the Law family.
In order to support her mother Whitney, who is fighting stage 3 breast cancer, this online fundraising was first started in April 2024. Whitney told WESH that her daughter “doesn’t recall the incident at all” and sustained a “head wound” in the crash.
“She asks me about her dad, and I have to tell her everything over and over again,” the mother said. “I still haven’t processed everything.”
After the disaster, the Lake Saddle Club, where Bryleigh has been riding, is mobilizing support. According to their Facebook group, the club intends to host events and fundraisers in honor of Bryleigh on February 1.