Hodges Crash Investigation Report Released

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Highway Patrol's final report is in for the crash that left four people dead, four injured and the underage driver facing charges.

Brandon Hodges was 15 when he drove a Ford Explorer with nine Ed White High School students onboard on Interstate 295 in June. A tire blew and the SUV rolled three times. Three teens died at the scene, one more died in the hospital, and four others had serious injuries, including Hodges, who suffered a concussion.

Hodges faces nine charges resulting from the crash: four counts of driving without a license involving death, four counts of driving without a license causing bodily injury, and one count of careless driving.

His attorney, Duke Fagan, said the tire caused the crash, not the driver.

A Florida Highway Patrol report released Friday found that the roadway itself did not contribute to the crash, but tread separation on the left front tire did. Hodges was driving at least 72 mph in a posted 65 mph zone at the time, it said.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE REPORT

Nobody had alcohol in their system at the time of the crash. The FHP's conclusion is that Hodges "disregarded the safety of his passengers by allowing the vehicle to be occupied by more persons than the vehicle's safety equipment was designed for in a collision."

The combined weight of the passengers in the Explorer was 1,400 pounds. Investigators say three factors led to the careless driving charge:

• traveling 72 in a 65;
• operating a vehicle with 8 unrestrained passengers, and;
• willfully driving without a license

Fagan's hope is that the charges against Hodges will be reduced.

"The Highway Patrol's investigation report doesn't tell the entire story of how the crash occurred and what happened that day. I look forward to having our own experts, who have done an extensive investigation on the crash, tell the rest of the story about the accident," he said.

In the report, Hodges' former girlfriend, 16-year-old Rebekah Pilkinton, is listed as being "in violation of the law" for giving her keys to someone without a license, but she will not be charged because of the extent of her injuries.

As of the time of the report, Pilkinton was at home, requiring 24-hour care due to a brain injury.

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