ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. —
A 32-year-old St. Augustine man was arrested Wednesday on three charges of vehicular manslaughter for a head-on crash last December that left three dead, including unborn twins.
Michael Rhein was intoxicated, according to Florida Highway Patrol, when he got behind the wheel on the evening of Dec. 26, 2020.
In a newly-obtained report, FHP said Rhein was driving his 2018 Toyota Tacoma in the wrong direction on State Road 207 in St. Johns County when he collided into a Toyota Tundra with 6 people inside.
Passenger James “Jimmy” Knippenberg, 29, of Akron, Ohio, was killed. His sister, Raquel Haralambou, who was pregnant with twins, was critically injured.
The twins did not survive.
Three other adults and a 2-year-old girl were also hurt in the crash.
Rhein now faces three counts of vehicular homicide and a string of DUI charges, according to new court documents.
Raquel and Jimmy’s parents, Elizabeth and Dave Beachy, spoke to Action News Jax in January just weeks after the crash.
“She was eight months pregnant with twins, we lost both twins,” Dave Beachy said.
The Beachys’, facing the unimaginable task of having to bury a son and two unborn grandchildren, had a message for Rhein:
“You’ve taken so much from us...call somebody to pick you up if you’re drinking and driving...because you do change people’s lives,” Elizabeth Beachy said.
Faith Moving Forward: Family of two couples involved in a fatal crash after Christmas speaking out.
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