Suspected drug trafficker causes fiery crash killing 2 people in Seminole County, police say
By Madilyn Destefano, Brandon Hogan, Pattrik Perez
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SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) — A car driven by a suspected fentanyl trafficker broadsided another vehicle Tuesday in Seminole County, killing the two people inside it, according to the Casselberry Police Department.
Deputies with the sheriff’s office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle around 11:51 a.m. on 25th Street near State Road 417 in Sanford. The suspect failed to stop and drove away, CPD said in a statement.
CPD said the sheriff’s office did not pursue the vehicle out of concern for public safety.
As the suspect traveled southbound on U.S. Highway 17-92, at times exceeding speeds of 100 mph, he crashed into another vehicle near Sunnytown Road around 12:04 p.m., police said.
The two occupants of the other vehicle died, and the suspect was taken into custody at the scene of the crash before being transported to a local hospital, CPD said.
WESH 2 spoke with Kelly Tuite, who was parked nearby and heard the crash. She said it sounded like an explosion.
“(One of the cars) was split in half. There was smoke everywhere. The pole was on fire. It was traumatic seeing that. I really haven’t seen anything that bad up close like that,” she said. “I pray for the families, and I hope they get the justice that they deserve.”
Casselberry police are investigating the crash as a traffic homicide.
Criminal charges are forthcoming, police said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released
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