Boca Raton Personal Injury Lawyers Blog | Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A.
West Palm Beach, Florida
Police catch man suspected of causing fatal Lantana crash
Friday, July 24, 2009
LANTANA - A driver who police say caused a four-car crash that killed a pedestrian was caught after a manhunt. A Boynton Beach police officer came upon the crash at about 4 p.m. Thursday as he took the Lantana Road exit off Interstate 95 to turn around and return to the city.
Shortly before that discovery, the officer had attempted to stop a silver Mazda -- the car that apparently caused the crash, police say -- for breaking a traffic law on Interstate 95 near the Gateway Boulevard exit. But the car took off and sped away northbound. The officer did not pursue the car, but found what appeared to be the same silver Mazda involved in the crash on Lantana Road and 13th Street, said Boynton Beach Police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater. "It's believed to be the same car," she said.
The unidentified police officer saw a man run away from the accident scene but was unable to catch him, Slater said. Boynton Beach's K-9 units and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Eagle helicopter combed the area in search of the suspect. Witnesses said they saw the fleeing man jump over the fence behind the 7-Eleven convenience store wearing a white shirt and black shorts. The driver was later caught and arrested, Slater said, but police are not releasing his name. Charges are pending from the Florida Highway Patrol, she said. The dead pedestrian, a man, also remains unidentified.
No one else was injured in the crash, which involved a black Corvette, a white Explorer, a red Expedition and the Mazda, which had a Texas license plate. A preliminary check did not reveal the car was stolen, Boynton Beach Police Chief Matt Immler said. But that didn't eliminate that possibility, he said. James Spickler, 26, who lives nearby but was shopping at the 7-Eleven when the accident happened, called his wife at home to make sure the house was locked up. He was concerned for her safety with the suspect loose in the neighborhood.
"Because you never know," he said, "We saw all this debris and a body laying in the road. I told her to lock everything up." The Boynton Beach officer who attempted to make the traffic stop and tried to apprehend the fleeing suspect is on paid administrative leave, as per departmental policy, Slater said. Employees of the KFC just feet from the accident scene were shocked about a pedestrian's death nearby."That's like movie stuff," employee Cristal Huertas said. "I don't think I can eat. It's a sick feeling."
The law provides a limited time period for you to bring an automobile accident claim. If you are in Florida, and have been injured in an auto accident, or if you have a loved one injured, contact Ellis, Ged & Bodden today. We will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.
Shortly before that discovery, the officer had attempted to stop a silver Mazda -- the car that apparently caused the crash, police say -- for breaking a traffic law on Interstate 95 near the Gateway Boulevard exit. But the car took off and sped away northbound. The officer did not pursue the car, but found what appeared to be the same silver Mazda involved in the crash on Lantana Road and 13th Street, said Boynton Beach Police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater. "It's believed to be the same car," she said.
The unidentified police officer saw a man run away from the accident scene but was unable to catch him, Slater said. Boynton Beach's K-9 units and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Eagle helicopter combed the area in search of the suspect. Witnesses said they saw the fleeing man jump over the fence behind the 7-Eleven convenience store wearing a white shirt and black shorts. The driver was later caught and arrested, Slater said, but police are not releasing his name. Charges are pending from the Florida Highway Patrol, she said. The dead pedestrian, a man, also remains unidentified.
No one else was injured in the crash, which involved a black Corvette, a white Explorer, a red Expedition and the Mazda, which had a Texas license plate. A preliminary check did not reveal the car was stolen, Boynton Beach Police Chief Matt Immler said. But that didn't eliminate that possibility, he said. James Spickler, 26, who lives nearby but was shopping at the 7-Eleven when the accident happened, called his wife at home to make sure the house was locked up. He was concerned for her safety with the suspect loose in the neighborhood.
"Because you never know," he said, "We saw all this debris and a body laying in the road. I told her to lock everything up." The Boynton Beach officer who attempted to make the traffic stop and tried to apprehend the fleeing suspect is on paid administrative leave, as per departmental policy, Slater said. Employees of the KFC just feet from the accident scene were shocked about a pedestrian's death nearby."That's like movie stuff," employee Cristal Huertas said. "I don't think I can eat. It's a sick feeling."
The law provides a limited time period for you to bring an automobile accident claim. If you are in Florida, and have been injured in an auto accident, or if you have a loved one injured, contact Ellis, Ged & Bodden today. We will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.
posted by Ellis, Ged and Bodden, P.A. at 6:26 AM
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