Port St. Lucie woman on trial in 2020 traffic death of three boys, including her son

FORT PIERCE - A Port St. Lucie mother is on trial this week accused of serving alcohol to her son and to two other teenage boys who later got in a crash resulting in the deaths of all three youths.

Beth Ann Turban, 39, the mother of Nehemiah Turban, 16, who died in the Aug. 1, 2020, crash, faces three first-degree misdemeanor counts of allowing an open house party — contributing to serious bodily injury or death.

At the time of the crash on Southwest California Boulevard north of Southwest Heatherwood Boulevard, Nehemiah was a passenger in a 2003 Toyota Camry driven by Christian Bono, 16, who also died. Christian’s 15-year-old brother, Matthew, was in the vehicle, and he died four days later at Kendall Regional Medical Center in Miami, records show.

The Toyota crossed the northbound lane before crashing into a concrete utility pole on the east side of Southwest California Boulevard. The vehicle also caught fire, records show.

The location is east of Interstate 95 between St. Lucie West Boulevard and Crosstown Parkway.

Christian and Matthew played baseball at St. Lucie West Centennial, while Nehemiah played at Treasure Coast High School.

A jury of four women and three men were seated Monday for a trial expected to last the week before Senior Judge Joe Wild at the St. Lucie County Courthouse.

Turban, of the 3500 block of Southwest San Giorgio Street, Port St. Lucie, has pleaded not guilty, records show.

If she’s convicted as charged, she faces a maximum of three years in the county jail and $3,000 in fines, according to prosecutors.

'Not a typical Sweet 16' party

During Tuesday’s opening statements, Assistant State Attorney Elise Kearney told jurors that on the day of the crash, friends of Nehemiah had gathered at the Turban home for his birthday; he had turned 16 the day before.

“But this was not a typical Sweet 16. This defendant (Turban) provided alcohol to the teenagers at the party,” Kearney said. “She knew during a party that teenagers were drinking alcohol - lots of it - and she even took shots with them.”

What was meant to be a celebration of Nehemiah 16th year of life, Kearney said, “ended in a horrific car crash and the tragic loss of three young lives.”

Turban’s defense attorney Richard Barlow, though, suggested Christian Bono, who was behind the wheel of the Toyota, was the one at fault, not his client.

The Turban home, he said, was a place where kids would gather “almost every weekend.”

The day had been wet and windy, Barlow noted, because what became Hurricane Isaias was barreling toward the east coast.

Nehemiah and his friends stayed at his home, played games and watched TV, he said.

“And yes, Beth Turban did make the three boys, Nehemiah and Christian Bono and one other boy drinks,” Barlow said. “But they were instructed very clearly: They don't drive from the home. You don't leave the home. You put the keys on the counter.”

The Bono brothers were to sleep over that night, he said.

Barlow said what Turban didn't know was Christian also was drinking White Claws and Four Loko alcoholic beverages he had stashed in a cooler.

Investigators, he noted, had concluded the crash was caused by both alcohol and excessive speed – up to 75 mph in a 40 mph zone at impact.

At the time of the crash, Christian Bono’s blood alcohol level was 0.217, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, records show.

“If you've been driving the speed limit, death most likely would not have been caused to all three of them. Maybe not to any of them,” Barlow said. “So, it was Christian’s driving and Christian’s decision-making."

Added Barlow: “Now, is his decision-making affected by the alcohol? Was it affected by the alcohol that Beth gave him? Or affected by his own drinking of alcohol in this case?”

It comes down to “taking personal responsibility for making bad decisions,” Barlow said.

“Bad decisions were made, which caused the actual deaths of all three by drinking, by driving, by driving at excessive speeds,” Barlow said.

Earlier, Kearney told jurors shortly after the Bono brothers arrived to see Nehemiah, Turban told the boys “let's get this party started.”

“She took a bottle of liquor, poured it into a shaker and poured shots of liquor for herself and for the boys,” she said.

Matthew Bono drank one shot, while Christian Bono and Nehemiah “had about 10 shots each.”

“Nehemiah was very drunk after this, to the point of vomiting,” Kearney said.

Throughout the afternoon and the evening, people trickled in and out of the party at Turban’s home.

“The defendant (Turban) knew, the teens continued to drink,” she said.

Sometime after Turban went to bed around 8:15 p.m., Kearney said the boys wanted to play a drinking game called beer pong, but they didn’t have ping pong balls.

They got into Christian’s Toyota and drove north past a Walmart then south on Southwest California Boulevard.

“As their car approached the curve, the car drove fast off the roadway, sliding and rotating until the car crashed into a large cement pole,” she said.

The rear of the car caught fire; Christian and Nehemiah were killed instantly.

What led to Turban’s arrest?

Records show on Aug. 5, 2020, police learned about a boy who said he was with Christian, Matthew and Nehemiah the day of the crash. He said he saw Turban provide shots of vodka to the three boys.

He told investigators Turban also was “taking shots” with the boys. They finished a bottle of alcohol.

Days after the crash occurred, the boy said he got a call from Turban, who said law enforcement officials were going to investigate. He said Turban asked him to say the boys “took a drink by themselves.”

Turban was arrested Sept. 18, 2021.

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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at  melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Trial underway related to 2020 traffic crash that killed three boys