ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The parents of 18-year-old Nick Miner are still waiting for answers nearly two months after he was killed in an Orange County crash.
The couple said it hurts to know the person who hit him may still be on the road.
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They said the Florida Highway Patrol has not been communicating with them enough about the investigation.
Derek Miner, Nick Miner’s father, said the family received a letter from FHP expressing sympathy for the loss.
The letter read in part: “We are here to help you understand the Florida Highway Patrol’s role, traffic crash procedures and approximate timetables of your loved one’s case during the investigation.”
Derek Miner said FHP has done the exact opposite.
“Just call me, let me know what’s going on, do exactly what you’re saying in this letter,” Derek Miner said.
Derek Miner said that besides the letter, they received one brief update saying the investigation is still pending.
Troopers said Nick Miner died while trying to pull a vehicle stuck on the shoulder along Dallas Boulevard near Oberly Parkway.
According to the crash report, FHP said a driver collided with the pick-up truck Nick was using to pull that stalled vehicle back onto the roadway.
He was ejected from the truck as it overturned.
“He died helping somebody else out,” Derek Miner said. “He’s a hero for that.”
Deanna Miner, Nick’s mother, is also grappling with the pain, hoping for closure soon.
“Without him we’re just lost, we don’t know what to do,” she told News 6.
The family will never see Nick running plays on the football field again as the star quarterback of East River High School.
“It was one of my favorite things to do, and I’m [going to] miss that,” Derek Miner said.
Derek Miner said Nick had big goals. He wanted to serve in the Navy one day.
Although he’s gone, the family still finds ways to feel his presence by visiting Nick’s gravesite daily.
“I go because I feel like I get closer to him,” Deanna Miner said.
The driver who hit Nick is a 27-year-old woman from Orlando.
News 6 last received an update from FHP on Wednesday.
FHP said it is still an active investigation, and no charges have been filed at this point.
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