In street racing and speeding, some people appear to be the best, captivating sensation and attention with their achievements and charisma. But beneath their skills lies a potential life-taking act.
Today, the increasing number of street race drivers taking away pedestrians’ lives is becoming a cause of concern.
In this expose, we embark on a journey of telling the story of a TikTok trending figure that has remained obscured from the public eye. Fasten yourself as we delve into a tale of fun that ended up to regret and disappointment.
Who Is Cameron Herren? The Story of Lost Hope
Cameron Herren is behind the trendy TikTok video of a racing car hitting a 24-year-old mother with her one-year-old daughter in 2018. On April 2021, Cameron was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Key Takeaway
- Herren was convicted and sentenced to nine and 15 years, making 25 years.
- After the conviction, social media groups formed to campaign to overturn his sentence.
- Cameron has a love for cars
- Tristan was also injured during the 2018 tragedy
The Early Life
Cameron is a Christian boy born on 9th Sep 1999 in Texas, United States. He should be 24 years of age by 2023. He is the second son of Chris and Cheryl Herren after Tristan, his older brother.
He attended elementary education in Florida at Tampa Catholic School. His education performance encouraged him to proceed to Texas Tech University. His graduation came with a wealthy surprise of a black 2018 Ford Mustang.
Truly, his parents didn’t know that the surprise would negatively impact their son’s dream. But how could they know? After all, it is love.
Joyous Moments That Turned Dark
Some sources say Cameron loves racing, and his racing ambitions started with his classmates back in his hometown. One day he and his older brother Tristan went to race against a motorist John Barrineau at a speed of 102 mph when he lost control and accidentally rammed a 24-year-old mother, Lilia Reisinger, with her one-year-old daughter.
From the video, it seems like the mother, on finding that she could not save herself, tried to push her baby to at least save her, but it was in vain. Lilia Jessica died on the spot, and the innocent one-year-old daughter died the next day.
Cameron was 18 years old, still young and handsome when the accident happened. His family tried to defend their son by hiring the best lawyer. But Jessica’s husband and family, in the end, warn the case.
He was sentenced to nine years on the first count and a 15 years sentence for the second count. This sentence is long, and it made Cameron appeal. But the court still retained the 24-year imprisonment.
The lengthy sentence led to a spike, and it became a trendy story in TikTok. Some say imprisonment is too long for a young soul like Cameron Herren. But judges still insist it was a fair trial.
Cameron Herrin’s Love Life
Most probably, you are asking yourself, who was Cameron’s girlfriend before his sentence? Well, this influential figure did not expose much about his love life.
As for now, we have little knowledge concerning his current girlfriend or anyone he used to date.
Who Are Cameron Herren’s Parents?
We have learned the story of Cameron Herren after being sentenced to 24 years. Although most of the story lingers about Cameron Herren, there is less known about the parents, Chris Herren and Cheryl Herren.
His mother, Cheryl Herren, works as a vice president at State Farm Insurance Company, while the father, Chris Herrin, is a filmmaker and editor at a separate company.
Since the tragedy, the family has been trying to come to a little spotlight. They are trying to stay away from questioning, and they little disclose their lives.
It’s wise to understand that this family is experiencing a challenging life trying to recover from the tragedy that hit.
These parents love their boys, Tristan and Cameron, just like what other parents should be. And it is evident in the funny pictures taken during recreations and the wealthy surprise of a black 2018 Ford Mustang.
Since childhood, Cameron has loved cars, which is what his parents wanted to fulfill. Not knowing it would take their child into a negative turn in his life.
The Herren’s Family Joyous Moments
As a parent seeing your children happy completes your joy; this is what has been happening in Herren’s family long before the tragedy. You find this in the happy life exposed in Cameron’s TikTok handle, where he shares most of his life’s funny events with his family.
In these posts, he mostly features his parents and older brother. There is a post showing Cameron’s happy moments during his 18th Birthday. The family went to SkyDive City in Zephyrhills; happy moments indeed.
What Did the Family Do After the Tragedy?
Since the Herren family is among the wealthy figures, they did their best to drop the charges. But in reality, the accident was severe, and everyone was looking to what will the court decide.
It was indeed a challenging time for the family. But it didn’t end there; the mother tried to defend her son, saying he had lived a flawless life and never intended to take the lives of the mother and daughter.
Privacy After the Tragedy
Privacy is a security key to everyone. Your private life exposed to the public can be in great danger. Thus, maintaining privacy has been the paramount concern for Cameron’s parents.
Following the tragedy, Herren’s family requested privacy and avoided the media spotlight. Their family security is what matters.
Campaign for Cameron Herren’s Justice
Cameron Herren is among the best TikTok influencers with exceptional followers; this means that a slight drawback or mistake concerning them can either cause a positive or negative impact on the public.
So, for the sake of justice, there has been much criticism concerning his long-term jail. A twenty-four years sentence is indeed long for an unintentional accident. But street racing is illegal, so judges ruled the act to be intentional.
His long-term jail means that Cameron will be 43 years of age upon his release, creating attention and sympathy from people in TikTok and the public. Some say the term is too long and unfair.
Since then, groups have been formed in TikTok and other social media platforms, campaigning for the overturn of Cameron Herren’s case.
Some sources say that Herren’s family tried to bribe judges, but their effort was in vain.
How Much Is Cameron Herren’s Net Worth?
As a TikTok influencer and coming from a wealthy family, we expect Cameron Herren to have a reasonable net worth. Right before his arrest for vehicular homicide, it is believed that he had a net worth of between $820K and $1000K.
According to some reports, he used to earn a reasonable income from his influencing videos. But little is known as to whether he had personal businesses or not. After the arrest, his career life has come to a pause.
His career life may continue after his release on 12th May 2044. Who knows, maybe he’ll continue being an influencer or take another turn in his life.
Who Are the Crush Victims?
A 24-year-old woman, Jessica Raubenolt, and her 21-month-old daughter were the people behind the South Tampa road accident. The speedy Mustang slammed the mother and threw her 40 feet high.
The incident was so horrible and hard to imagine the pain experienced. The husband had to report the case, and it later led to the arrest warrant of Cameron Herren. The father and husband attended the hearing.
The Story Behind Jessica Raubenolt
The horrible Tampa accident has left four families in heartbreak. There is nothing we can do but wish for their recovery.
According to David, the husband to Jessica, the accident left a dent that may take time to heal. When David sees his daughter’s crib, all the memories become fresh. Sometimes even seeing kids playing around, the memories of Lillia and his wife become fresh as if it happened yesterday.
One truly doesn’t know when something bad is to happen. The family of three from Ohio visited David’s uncle in Bayshore Boulevard when the tragedy occurred.
According to David, his wife Jessica loved taking Lillia for a walk inside the stroller. She used to walk on the beautiful Hillsborough Bay to downtown when she came to her death.
What Happened to Tampa Accident Memorial
Right after the horrifying accident, people erected a memorial to honor the death of Jessica and her beautiful daughter Lillia. But the memorial becomes unpleasant to the city council.
The public believed the memorial was mysteriously removed on Tuesday, 8th Aug, without public consent. Zhenya Nichols, a Keep Our Bayshore Boulevard Beautiful member, claimed the memorial was helping to remind drivers of the causes of overspeeding and even make them slow down.
The memorial was beautifully cemented, with illuminating walls and flowers planted around it. The members of the local community used to take turns watering the flowers and even used to host morning memorial sessions to honor the death of the mother and daughter. But the memorial is now gone!
What Is the Public Opinion About Cameron’s Case and Outcome?
Is the 24-year jailing of Cameron a mistake? Yes or No. As for me, I would say yes, it was a mistake jailing a young person for unintentionally causing an accident. But taking away two lives that’s not a ‘NO’ for me.
Cameron’s mistake ruins Jessica’s family, her parents, and her husband. However, another flaw is in the Cameron family with how they behaved as saints; forgetting their child’s actions took away two lives.
We understand bad things can happen even after good intentions. Say parents unknowingly spoil their children. According to people’s view, the accident was caused by Cameron’s parents, and they were the people to answer for the crimes. But is it the real thing for the judges to do?
According to the views of the people and their opinion on the case, the parents made the mistake of gifting their child such a powerful vehicle without giving them enough education to handle it. But who knows? Maybe Cameron was educated but decided to be indisciplined.
In reality, one has to answer for their crime. That’s what happened to Cameron Herren. But 24-year jailing seems to be more than a punishment. Even other people who did a similar accident are not serving such a long term.
Would the sentence be the same if Cameron slammed a homeless old person? We do not know. But perhaps the sentencing could be lesser.
If, at the time of sentencing, Cameron was 18 years of age, it means that on 12th May 2044, during his release, he’ll be old, making it challenging to resume his career and elevate to higher heights.
According to the neighbors, Cameron lived a life of trying to impress his mother. That means he was under pressure to live a life that pleased his mother. In my view, these witnesses should testify against the mother, stating all the events that possibly made Cameron feel disappointed after failing his mom.
However, it is evident if Cameron decided to tell the truth, especially his weakness when it comes to his mother, he would have a better chance of defending himself. Instead, the family tried their best to point out Cameron as a perfect child with no flaws, which we both know is rare for a child from a wealthy family to be flawless.
What Did the Public Expect? Cameron’s Lengthy Sentence
According to the previous cases handled on people who committed Felony Vehicular Homicide, the public expected Cameron Herren to serve at most 15 years jail sentence. But it didn’t go as expected. Public opinion does not in any way influence court judgment.
For one to experience charges for committing a vehicular homicide felony must do the following:
- Overtaking a school bus
- Causing an accident and running the scene
- Reckless driving
- Driving under influence
- Street racing
Anyone who frequently commits these crimes within five years will likely serve between 5 to 20 years of sentence. And this was not the case with Cameron’s case.
There was no previous case filed against Cameron in the last five years. So what causes the nine years and 15 years sentences? Perhaps it was the two crimes he committed, or it was just his bad luck.
Let’s discuss the types of vehicular accident charges in detail:
Overtaking a School Bus
Overtaking should not be a habit, even if it does not involve a school bus. Overtaking means one will go to the other incoming vehicle lane. And what if there is an incoming speedy car? The results may be fatal.
In the United States, especially in Florida, it is illegal to overtake a school bus. Overtaking a school bus is a crime as it can cause the loss of innocent lives. And whenever you fall victim to causing an accident, you should be prepared to hire a skilled lawyer for your case. Without doing so, you can end up serving a lengthy sentence in jail.
Reckless Driving
Under Florida law, people should not cause the death of another due to reckless driving. People consider reckless driving to be a gross decision that can end up taking the lives of others.
Like the action done by Cameron Herren, judges considered his actions as gross negligence and later ended up making him sentenced to over 20 years.
So if convicted of this felony, expect to receive heavy fines amounting to $5k or serve more than ten years in prison.
This type of felony only applies to the drivers but not the passengers, as it happened to Tristan, Cameron’s brother, who was not convicted of any crime although he was in the same car that caused the accident.
Driving Under the Influence
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered a crime. One will be charged with DUI if their blood sample tastes 0.08% or have a higher value.
If driving under the influence cause an accident or death, the person is charged with committing a crime and can receive not less than five years in jail.
According to sources, Cameron Herren was not driving under the influence. Instead, it was their normal routine to go for a street race on the same road where he had caused the accident.
And following the gift of a new Mustang, it was evident that he wanted to taste the luxurious feeling of driving one. An action that led him to a dark side and took the lives of two while heartbreaking four families.
Criminal Negligence
This type of crime has less weight than the others. But still, causing an accident due to criminal negligence is a crime. One is guilty if the conduct deviates from the standard reasoning of a normal person.
Committing this type of crime can land you in jail. Also, you can get no less than a $5K fine.
Vehicle Manslaughter Caused by Street Racing
Did you know street racing in Florida and most American States is a crime? Street racing and overspeeding are things that go hand-in-hand and can cause the death of others.
In Tampa, an accident, overspeeding caused the death of 2 souls, a mother, and her daughter. Cameron Herren’s actions resulted in him serving 24 years in jail.
Therefore, street racing resulting in accidents may end up making you serve many years in prison. Take action and reduce accidents where possible.
Hit-And-Run Accidents
A hit-and-run incident occurs when the driver escapes the sane without providing evidence for the case. And hit-and-run incident is the leading cause of most accidents in the United States.
If you are found guilty of hit-and-run, you’ll end up getting a heavy fine or serve not less than five years in jail. Cameron’s case was not hit and run; in fact, medical assistance responded on time and took them to the hospital, where on the second day, the court ordered his arrest.
If involved in such an accident, there are legal procedures to take to uphold your rights. You should seek medical assistance and your condition documented. Then report the incident to the authority and explain what happened. Finally, ensure you have the right grounds to win the case.
Was Cameron Herren Negligent While Driving?
What is negligence? In simple term, negligence is failure to care for others and result in causing accidents and even death. So yes, Cameron Herren didn’t care about the public.
A person to be considered negligent and charged for causing a crime must prove causation, duty, breach of duty, and damages. All of which Cameron was proven to have.
After the cause of the accident, the injured party or any survivor needs to prove these elements. And whenever all four elements are proven to be present, the person falls liable for being negligent and ends up in jail.
What’s the Difference? Vehicular Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide Charges
For many years many people do not know the difference between vehicular manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges.
For the sake of Cameron Herren, was it a vehicular manslaughter or vehicular homicide charge? Do you know the difference? The difference between these two is whether or not the intention was there at the cause of the accident.
Vehicular manslaughter cases occur when there is no intent present during the cause of the accident. In contrast, a vehicular homicide sentence happens if intent is present at the time of committing a crime.
Therefore, in Cameron Herren’s case, there was no intent of hitting the mother and her daughter. So it is considered to be a vehicular manslaughter case.
Final Verdict
The story of Cameron Herren reminds us how responsible we are for our driving actions. It also tells us how one mistake in our actions can end up causing a turn in our lives forever. So we should all prioritize safety when driving and respect for all the parties.
We should value the lives of others by driving responsibly and not in any way driving while under the influence. Also, we should remember that accidents don’t necessarily cause the accident of the people you slam. Sometimes you can end up taking your life.
