FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Two years after a crash near Fort Lauderdale involving a Tesla took the lives of a mother and daughter, the victims’ family is taking the Broward Sheriff’s Office to court.
The incident, which happened in unincorporated central Broward County on Aug. 11, 2024, killed Lisa Jackson and Geraldine Francis. It also left Lisa’s daughter, then-17-year-old Kumani Jackson, with a life-altering brain injury.
The family came to Fort Lauderdale after the teenager enrolled in Nova Southeastern University in 2024 to study veterinary medicine.
“We always knew she was gonna be successful and had high aspirations for what she wanted to do,” said Donald Francis, Kumani’s grandfather, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash.
However, their lives were changed forever after a Tesla ran a red light and hit their car.
The driver, identified as Gavin Dorvil, slammed into their rental Dodge Durango at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Sixth Street.
“I got one vehicle, heavy damage, in the cemetery,” was heard over the Broadcastify police scanner on that day.
Bystanders struggled to save the victims,
“I was telling her like, ‘Don’t talk, don’t talk, I’m gonna get your friends out of the car.’ There were other two girls in the car,” said a bystander at the time.
“It was terrible,” said another bystander.
Lisa and Kumani’s grandmother, Geraldine Francis, did not survive. Kumani survived but suffered a serious brain injury, leaving her in a coma for two months.
The future that Kumani was so close to achieving was ripped away in an instant, along with shattering the family’s hearts at the devastating losses.
“I’m angry. They’ve taken my wife, they’ve taken Lisa,” said Donald.
Now, the family is suing BSO.
“This was supposed to be a celebration. A mother and a grandmother were bringing a 17-year-old from Bermuda to begin college. They never made it to that new beginning,” said Josiah Graham, the family’s attorney.
Donald also shared his concerns about his granddaughter’s future.
“I think about it all the time, what’s gonna happen? I mean, what type of future does she have? It just seems like you just can’t keep on like this,” said Donald.
The family’s lawyer blames BSO and claims that two deputies were pursuing Dorvil to initiate a traffic stop in the middle of the afternoon.
An internal affairs report from BSO said that Dorvil was driving recklessly. Two deputies were also reassigned during that investigation.
“What makes this tragedy even more difficult to accept is that we allege it should have never happened in the first place,” said Graham. “We allege that the Broward Sheriff’s Office was negligent in initiating and continuing this pursuit and that its actions contributed to the deaths of Geraldine Francis, Lisa Jackson and the catastrophic injuries suffered by Kumani.”
Surveillance video from that day shows the Tesla speeding by in the afternoon, with Dorvil travelling at 92 miles an hour as he ran the red light.
The internal affairs report states that the deputies reached speeds of 76 miles an hour and 83 miles an hour.
It also said that both deputies failed to use discretion, but did not uphold allegations of taking part in a pursuit.
One of the deputies was given a one-day suspension without pay, and the other a two-day suspension without pay.
Donald now cares for the now 19-year-old Kumani with the help of a caregiver, racking up medical bills.
The family’s lawyer said that the crash changed everything.
“Well, we’re asking for accountability,” said Graham. “Two years later, we’re here because this family deserves answers. They deserve to know whether this tragedy could have been prevented, and they pray that it never happens to another family again.”
In the years since, family gatherings are more muted, and their house is quiet.
At some point, Donald got a dog to offer additional support and company for his family.
“It’s been a struggle, you know. There’s always remindersm always reminders,” he said.
BSO officials said that they do not comment on pending litigation.
Dorvil now faces several charges, with a hearing set to take place sometime next week.
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