Teens recovering from DUI-related accident in gated community

A young woman who was a passenger in a crash, which sent three teens to the hospital Thursday, is slowly recovering.

As of Monday, NCH spokeswoman Debbie Curry said 18-year-old Melina Velez was in good condition.

Velez was one of three passengers in a 2005 silver Chevrolet Malibu driven by North Naples resident Jackson Daniel.

Collier County Sheriff’s deputies say an inebriated Daniel slammed his car head-on into a tree.

According to Sheriff’s reports, deputies responded to the call at 7:19 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Island Walk Circle and Maupiti Way in North Naples, in the gated community of Island Walk off Vanderbilt Beach Drive.

Reports said the Malibu driven by Daniel, 18, was traveling west in the rain on Island Walk Circle and came around the corner too fast, causing him to barrel into a tree. The report also said he left 124-foot-long skid marks. The vehicle received $10,000 in damage.

When deputies arrived they found Daniel and his front passenger -- later identified as Logan Kraus -- outside of the car. Kraus was not seriously injured, but Daniel was transported to the hospital to treat a head injury.

However Collier County Sheriff’s reports said, the two rear passengers Robert Richard, 17, and Velez were also transported to NCH with broken necks and were expected to face long-term injuries. Curry said Richard was not listed as a patient at the hospital.

Daniel, of the 4700 block of Martinique Way in North Naples, was arrested at about 5 a.m. Friday, after he left the hospital. He was charged with two counts of DUI-serious bodily injury to another, DUI-damage to property, as well as a DUI traffic offense.

As of Friday Daniel is out on a $6,750 bond.