BMW DRIVER HITS SCHOOL BUS IN WELLINGTON, PASSENGERS ARRESTED FOR BANK FRAUD

The driver of a BMW who struck a school bus in Wellington is still on the loose. Palm Beach County deputies said they arrested one of the passengers in the BMW for committing a fraudulent act at a Wellington bank moments before the crash. Officials reported that the passenger walked into the bank around 2 p.m. and attempted to make a fraudulent withdrawal under another name.

“The signature did not match and he told me that he recently got hand surgery,” the teller said in the arrest report.

When the teller went to take copies of the IDs, the passenger then got nervous and walked out of the bank to the gold BMW, where deputies had four people inside. Bank personnel became suspicious and contacted the authorities as they saw the vehicle speed away. Deputies said the BMW was speeding in Wellington around 2:15 p.m. when it hit the back of a school bus at the intersection of Cedar Bluff Place and Aero Club Drive. The bus was transporting five children from Binks Forest Elementary School. All of the children and the bus driver were uninjured, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. Two people from the BMW fled the scene. Two others, including the passenger who is suspected of trying to make the fraudulent withdrawal, stayed behind and were transported to the hospital.

TESLA BATTERY FIRE LEADS TO 1-95 SLOWDOWN IN DELRAY BEACH

Firefighters in Delray Beach hauled in 5,00 gallons of water to put out a fire in the battery of a Tesla on I-95. The typical car fire only requires a fraction of that amount according to firefighters. Firefighters had to shut down several lanes of the highway for two hours as a result of the fire. Investigators believe a piece of the road caused the fire in the Tesla’s battery. Crews with Delray Beach Fire Rescue and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue had to bring in water to put out the fire, which they call “stubborn.” Crews turned the Tesla onto its side to inspect the battery for any more smoke before letting a tow truck haul it away.

DRIVER BEHIND FLORIDA ROAD RAGE WRECK THAT KILLED 17-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED

A Florida man is facing manslaughter and battery charges more than a year after a highway crash killed a teenage boy. According to state authorities. Gregory Lowe, 30, cut off a Toyota Camry on the Florida Turnpike near Boca Raton causing the car to spin off the road, hit a guardrail, overturn and hit another vehicle. Daquan Smith Jr. was traveling to Miami in the Toyota with his parents from Central Florida. He was sadly ejected from the vehicle and died. His parents sustained minor injuries.

Gregory Lowe faces manslaughter and aggravated battery charges. Lowe was arrested for one count of vehicular manslaughter and three counts of aggravated battery and is out on $120,000 bail. He was ordered to refrain from driving and stay away from the victims. Florida Highway Patrol investigators said Lowe was enraged and deliberately changed lanes in front of the Toyota, causing it to run off the road. A private ambulance driver who witnessed the incident followed Lowe for 3 miles after the crash before he stopped. Investigators said the ambulance drove 80 mph trailing Lowe, who was driving a Ford Connect transit passenger van. The ambulance driver told highway patrol the van cut off the Camry at least three times. He called 911 before the crash.

Daquan Smith Sr. told investigators Lowe gestured for Smith to drive faster. His wife, Eboni Tucker Smith, said the driver was “riding” the car and coaxing her husband to speed up. According to a Palm Beach Post report, Lowe was driving in the center lane behind the Toyota. He changed to the inside lane and “aggressively” entered the center lane cutting off the other car. It struck a Chevrolet Silverado. The driver and passenger of the Chevrolet were also injured in the crash, according to reports.

PEOPLE GATHER TO HONOR FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE SENIOR INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN WRONG-WAY CRASH

Family, friends and law enforcement officials gathered to remember a Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission senior investigator who was killed in a wrong-way crash. Visitation for Kyle Patterson took place at Christ Fellowship Church in Port St. Lucie, followed by a service and flags will be at half-staff across the Treasure Coast in his honor. Law enforcement officers from all over Florida, including officers from the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County, showed up to say a final goodbye to one of their own.

“Kyle played a really instrumental role in a very complex criminal investigation that took place some time ago, so we all knew him,” said Sheriff William Snyder of Martin County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s like what I said before. It doesn’t matter the patch we’re all the same.” The crash occurred at the intersection of South Header Canal Road and Okeechobee Road, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

A 24-year-old woman from Tampa was driving the wrong way when the vehicle collided with the front of an unmarked Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission vehicle that was being driven by a 35-year-old man. Patterson died at the hospital while the woman died at the scene, according to troopers. The investigation is ongoing. “He’s an amazing guy,” said Maryah Terrien, a friend of Patterson. “He did so much for the community.”

As Always, we at Fischetti Law Group advise all our readers, clients and friends to call local police and/or emergency services before attempting to file a personal injury protection or bodily injury claim in Palm Beach or Martin Counties.