Witness describes Jeep speeding at 100 mph before devastating 8-vehicle crash in Florida
By Rachael Perry
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LANTANA, Florida (WPBF) — Newly obtained video is offering a clearer picture of the moments leading up to a devastating eight-vehicle crash in Lantana that left one person dead and two others seriously injured.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, investigators believe the crash began with a separate collision just moments earlier. Deputies say the driver of a Jeep Wrangler took off from that initial crash before speeding toward the intersection of Dixie Highway and Ocean Avenue, where the deadly crash unfolded.
Newly obtained surveillance video captured Tuesday morning appears to show the same Jeep traveling down Dixie Highway, passing other vehicles before striking one along the roadway.
Seconds later, investigators say a Jeep matching that description slammed into traffic stopped at a red light at the intersection of Dixie Highway and Ocean Avenue.
Authorities identified the victim killed in the crash as Jose Bedoya of Boca Raton. The driver of the Jeep, identified as Charles Velbis, and another driver suffered serious injuries.
Salvatore Perna, who owns Discount Car Rental on Dixie Highway, says he witnessed the Jeep moments before the crash.
“I looked up. As I looked up, I saw this four-door Jeep go by here. It had to be more than 100 miles an hour,” Perna said.
After arriving at the crash scene, Perna said he was stunned by what he saw.
“The carnage that I saw, the destruction that I saw was just mind-blowing,” he said.
Perna believes the deadly crash highlights what he says has become a growing problem along Dixie Highway.
“I’ve always said to my neighbors in the building here that the day is going to come, the tragedy is coming. It’s just when,” he told WPBF.
He said it seems to be the same people racing down the road.
“I call it the Lantana drag strip because they’re out here, who’s racing who on the street, right out here in broad daylight,” Perna said.
While he hopes the deadly crash highlights the dangerous driving in the area, he’s skeptical that lasting changes will follow.
“So now we have a tragedy, and now it’s going to bring a lot of attention to the tragedy. And then two months from now, we’ll be back to the same thing,” he said.
Investigators say they suspect Velbis may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. No charges have been filed, and authorities have not said whether he remains hospitalized.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or video from the area is asked to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
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