"Leesfield & Partners"

Published on: January 30, 2025

Child Dies Saturday in Key West Fire that Killed Family, officials say

A 5-year-old boy died from his injuries in a fire at a Key West apartment that killed both his parents and one of his three siblings, officials said.

Sadrac Decimy died Saturday at HCA Kendall, where he and his two other siblings, 13 and 14 years old, were taken following Thursday’s blaze. The other two siblings are in stable condition at HCA Kendall as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The fire happened on Thursday at an apartment building with at least eight units at 1010 Emma Street in Key West’s Bahama Village. Parents Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed in the fire.

Published on: January 27, 2025

Three Dead, Three Others Injured After Key West Building Fire Thursday Night

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire at a Key West apartment building resulted in the deaths of three people, including a child, and the injury of three other children on Thursday.

Parents, Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and child, 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed when a fire broke out around 7 p.m. Thursday at 1010 Emma Street in Bahama Village. A 14-year-old and two other children are among the survivors. Those three children were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital.

The fire was confined to a single unit, according to reporting from the Key West Citizen.

Published on: January 24, 2025

Key West Firefighters Complete Additional Training as Fires Continue to Rage in California. How Leesfield & Partners is Providing Aid.

By Leesfield & Partners

Amid horrific wildfires that have ravaged homes, wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Californians, Key West firefighters have completed additional training to improve their emergency response.

Firefighters in Key West recently completed their Florida Urban Search and Rescue Confined Space Technical Rescue training course, a lesson that teaches how to safely and effectively get people out of complicated fire situations. The course focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment, training levels of personnel and the availability of external resources.

Providing Aid

Published on: January 14, 2025

Concerns Flagged over E-Bikes in Key West at Latest City Commission Meeting. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Officials raised concerns about e-bikes in Key West this week at the first City Commission Meeting of 2025.

The concern was flagged by Donie Lee, the City Commissioner and former police chief, who said the issue could not be solved with “more enforcement,” according to reporting from the Key west Citizen. His suggestion was to ban the electronic modes of transport from multi-use pathways to protect pedestrians and traditional cyclists from potential crashes.

Tom Malone, a resident who disagreed with Lee, spoke out during the public comments section of the meeting to share his experience as an avid walker throughout the community. As a pedestrian, he said, these electronic modes of transport present a significant hazard to pedestrians.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Four People Rescued from Sinking Boat off Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday.

Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and its four passengers.

Additional information including what caused the boat to sink or whether anyone was injured were not immediately available Monday.

Published on: January 6, 2025

Service Member Stops Hotel Armed Robbery in Progress. In 48 Years of Personal Injury Practice, Leesfield & Partners Knows Many Others Are Not So Lucky.

By Leesfield & Partners

A U.S. airman stopped a Fort Walton Beach hotel robbery by making a simple call Friday, according to police.

The incident happened just before 10 a.m. Friday at a Residence Inn when the airman was walking through the lobby and noticed a “suspicious interaction” between the clerk and a person at the front desk. Luckily for the clerk, he called police as he left the lobby.

Police announced in a Dec. 30 news release that the man at the front desk had “brandished what appeared to be a concealed weapon in his jacket and demanded money.”

Published on: January 6, 2025

Florida father accused of drunk driving in deadly crash that killed 5-year-old faces charges, police say

By Leesfield & Partners

A father who was allegedly driving drunk the day he crashed his car into a tree, killing his daughter, 5, and injuring his son, 3, faces DUI manslaughter charges, police said in a Dec. 31 news release.

The crash happened in Polk County, Florida, on Nov. 7 when a father, who is not being named to protect the identity of his son, was allegedly three times over the legal limit when he was behind the wheel. The man picked up his children from their grandfather’s home, missed a turn and ran a stop sign, according to police. He later crashed into a tree and the car went up in flames. The man’s daughter died in the incident and his 3-year-old son suffered burns to his face.

The man tried getting his son out of the car but fell to the ground. A passerby helped the child. The father was also injured in the crash, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Published on: December 19, 2024

Tallahassee Woman Dies in Florida Keys While Scuba Diving, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman died Tuesday morning while scuba diving with a commercial scuba vessel in the Florida Keys, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

The 56-year-old woman, identified at Andreas Shultz of Tallahassee, was diving at Molasses Reef off Key Lago. Just before 10 a.m., she was found unconscious in the water and was rushed to shore.

Shultz died enroute to shore while others on the boat performed CPR, according to local reporting.

Published on: December 19, 2024

Leesfield & Partners Pledges Support to Key West Athletic Programs, food banks and more this holiday season. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners Pledges Support to Key West Athletic Programs, food banks and more this holiday season. What to Know.

Leesfield & Partners is one of the leading personal injury law firms in the Florida Keys with an office on historic Whitehead Street since the 1980s where it has served clients in landmark cases. Founded and managed by Ira Leesfield, who tried his first case in Monroe County in 1973, the firm has built a legacy rooted in strong community ties and a rich history. Over the years, Mr. Leesfield has forged deep connections in the area – serving clients such as Jimmy Buffet and the late, former NFL player Christopher Dyko – making the firm a trusted name in personal injury litigation. The firm’s Key West office was honored by the Florida Bar Association with its “Historic Building Renovation” award.

In addition to historic and record settlements and verdicts achieved on behalf of injured clients and their families, Leesfield & Partners has also had a positive impact on the community, regularly contributing to charities working to foster change in areas where it is most needed within the county.

Published on: December 18, 2024

Tractor-Trailer Driver Allegedly on social media Before Fatal Crash that killed woman, 8-year-old son.

By Leesfield & Partners

A tractor-trailer driver who faces felony charges in the August 2023 crash in Nebraska that killed a woman and her young son, 8, is now being accused of using Snapchat as he crashed, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Justin Zoerb, 22, was charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of reckless driving following the Clay County, Nebraska, crash on Aug. 9, 2023.

The crash happened around 4 p.m., killing 8-year-old Ryker Schlichtman and Nicole Pavelka, 30. Three other children in the family were hospitalized for their injuries but lived.