N.C. Toddler Killed In DUI Crash In Florida

According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, a toddler from North Carolina died and others suffered personal injuries in a wreck blamed on a drunken driver after a day at SeaWorld.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 2-year-old Isabella Zepka died on August 8, three days after the Chrysler PT Cruiser her father was driving was struck by a Cadillac driven by a Florida man who ran a red light.

Police charged 36-year-old John Molnar with DUI and possession of cocaine after investigators discovered a plastic bag containing what they said was cocaine under the driver’s seat of Molnar’s vehicle. The DUI charge means Molnar’s driver’s license will automatically be suspended for a year, which troopers say they plan to upgrade due to the toddler’s death.

According to Zepka’s uncle, Sundeep Arya, her 9-year-old brother, Alexander Zepka, required hospital transport because of a fractured skull. He has since been released and is expected to recover. The children’s father, 43-year-old Roberto Zepka, was not seriously injured.

According to Joanne Flores, a friend of the family, they were returning to their time share from a day at SeaWorld Orlando and dinner at a Venezuelan restaurant when the crash occurred.

The children’s mother, Elizabeth Zepka, and their 4-year-old sister were traveling in a separate vehicle.