A 71-year-old woman was killed in a law enforcement chase that originated in Palm Coast on Tuesday, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The fatal accident occurred at the I-95 off-ramp on US-1 in Ormond Beach, a ways south of where the chase began.
Two of three burglary suspects are in custody from the incident: 40-year-old Miami resident Stevens Charles and 38-year-old Kissimmee resident Joshua Hansen. Both were booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on Tuesday, each without bond. The third individual is Rahquez Moore, who is not in custody as of Wednesday.
The incident began early Tuesday morning, when the FCSO received information that three burglary suspects were in Flagler County driving a gray Chevrolet Suburban. The men were wanted in St. Johns County. Their vehicle was reportedly seen going south on Old Kings Road.
At 12:30 pm, deputies caught sight of the Suburban on I-95. It was said to be traveling southbound at high speeds. They reportedly exited I-95 at Old Dixie Highway, near the Volusia County line, where FCSO deputies deployed stop sticks in an attempt to deflate the tires. The Suburban was equipped with anti-deflating tires, the FCSO says, meaning the tactic was unsuccessful.
The Suburban was then said to have proceeded south on US-1, in the direction of another I-95 on-ramp near Destination Daytona. They were said to have weaved in and out of traffic and sideswiped one of the FCSO vehicles in pursuit of them. As they neared I-95, they were said to ‘drive recklessly well ahead of law enforcement’.
Once the Suburban reached the I-95/US-1 exchange, they were said to have driven against the direction of traffic on the highway off-ramp. They collided head-on with another vehicle. The suspects were then said to have gotten out of their Suburban and fled on foot into a nearby wooded area. Some of the responding deputies tended to the driver of the other car in the crash, while others pursued the suspects. Charles and Hansen were both located and arrested shortly thereafter.
Only one individual was in the car the suspects collided with on the off-ramp. They were airlifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Later on, they unfortunately succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident. The FCSO has not released the identity of the victim as their next-of-kin are notified.
“It is with great sadness, the actions of these dirtbags resulted in the tragic loss of an innocent life,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “This crime spree started in St. Johns County with vehicle burglaries and ended violently with the death of an innocent person. This death is the direct result of the poor decisions made by these criminals who had no regard for the life of those around them. Although the Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a traffic homicide investigation, we will do everything within our power to make sure these suspects are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victim’s loved ones.”
Stevens Charles is charged with two counts of aggravated fleeing or eluding a crash with serious injury or death, fleeing or eluding law enforcement with non-premeditated murder during a felony, reckless disregard for the safety or people or property, fleeing or eluding lights and sirens, reckless driving with serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash with death, leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury, violently resisting an officer, two counts of obstructing an officer without violence, and fleeing or attempting to elude lights and sirens.
Joshua Hansen is charged with six counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, three counts of petty theft over $100, five counts of criminal mischief $200 to $1,000, grand theft and petty theft, along with four out-of-county felony warrants and two out-of-county misdemeanor warrants.
If it’s possible, I hope they add vehicular manslaughter to the drivers charges.