Unexplained Chase Leads to Fatal Multi-Car Crash in Brevard County

A frightening incident occurred in Brevard County this past Wednesday when two civilian cars that appeared to be involved in a high-speed chase caused a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Turtlemound Road and Aurora Road.  According to initial reports on the incident, numerous witnesses reported seeing a black passenger vehicle and a four-door Ford driving at excessive speeds down Turtlemound Road near Melbourne at around 1:30 in the afternoon.  Witnesses agreed that the black car was chasing the Ford.

As the two vehicles neared the intersection of Turtlemound Road and Aurora Road, they showed no signs of slowing down.  The intersection features a four-way stop, which meant that there was no way the two cars could safely navigate through the intersection without ending their chase.  They decided against this measure, and instead attempted to rush through the busy intersection.

The Ford was the first through, and almost immediately its trajectory was halted by another vehicle, a Toyota that was driving in the northbound lanes of Turtlemound Road.  The Ford hit the rear of the Toyota with such force that the Toyota’s trunk was wrenched off of the vehicle and thrown off of the road and into a wooded area at the intersection’s corner.

Either because the driver was no longer able to operate their car or because they were still trying to flee from the black passenger vehicle, the Ford kept driving after it hit the Toyota, coming to a halt only after it collided with a sport-utility Jeep traveling in the eastern lanes.

The drivers of the Ford, Toyota, and Jeep were all taken to the hospital.  The 40-year-old Melbourne resident behind the wheel of the Ford was reportedly in critical condition.  A 34-year-old passenger in the Ford was also critically injured as a result of the crash, and despite the efforts of first responders, he was unable to be resuscitated and was declared dead at the scene of the crash.

The 72-year-old driver of the Toyota and the 80-year-old driver of the Jeep were both taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.

At the time of this writing, the Florida Highway Patrol is working with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to locate the driver of the black vehicle who fled from the scene after witnessing the collision of the Ford, Jeep, and Toyota.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.