A suburban Boca Raton man died Tuesday, June 23, in a seven-car crash that also sent two people to a trauma center at East Ocean Avenue and North Dixie Highway in Lantana, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared Jose Bedoya, 67, dead at the scene after a 2017 Jeep Wrangler speeding through the intersection struck his 2023 Mazda CSX, sending the hatchback spinning 180 degrees and into a nearby car.
Charges are pending against the driver of the Jeep Wrangler, a 34-year-old Lake Worth Beach-area man. Sheriff’s investigators said they suspect that either drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. The Palm Beach Post is not naming him because he has not been charged with a crime.
A man in a third car sustained serious injuries and a woman in a fourth vehicle minor ones in the wreck, which saw some cars that were struck crash into other ones, investigators said. TraumaHawk helicopters flew both people to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
Debris from the collision struck an eighth car as well, according to the sheriff’s report.
The sheriff’s office said the wreck took place just after 11:10 a.m. when the Jeep Wrangler, fleeing from an earlier crash with a truck on Dixie, sped south toward Ocean, where a line of vehicles had stopped at a traffic signal.
The Jeep Wrangler’s driver slow down or stop, investigators said, and struck the rear of the Mazda, which then hit a 2016 Toyota 4Runner.
Fire-rescue crews arrived arrived at 11:15 a.m. and found extensive damage to two cars. Rescuers spent about 10 minutes extricating three people from the wreckage.
Anyone with details on the crash is asked to contact sheriff’s investigators at 561.688.3000.
Dixie Highway was still closed in both directions at 5:30 p.m. while Lantana police investigated. Southbound traffic was redirected at Lantana Road; northbound traffic at West Pine Street.
Photos and videos posted to social media showed a red SUV with its back end sheared away. Smoke rose from the wreckage as bystanders approached to check on those inside.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. Reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca-area man, 67, killed in seven-car wreck at Lantana intersection
Reporting by Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
