Wrong-Way Driver Dies After High-Speed Crash on U.S. 1; Four Others Injured Including Two Children
HOBE SOUND, FL — A wrong-way driver traveling at speeds exceeding 100 mph died Sunday after crashing into two vehicles on U.S. Highway 1 in Martin County, leaving four others injured, including two young children.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, the incident began just before 5 p.m. after Jupiter Police Department alerted deputies about a driver heading northbound in the southbound lanes of U.S. 1.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent first spotted the suspect near Broadway Street and U.S. 1 in Riviera Beach and attempted to stop the vehicle. The suspect drove nearly 16 miles in the wrong direction through Riviera Beach, Juno Beach, and Jupiter before crashing in Hobe Sound.
During the pursuit, Jupiter Police successfully deflated one of the vehicle's tires on a bridge. Investigators say the suspect attempted to run over an officer before continuing northbound.
The chase ended when the suspect crashed into two vehicles near U.S. 1 and Jonathan Dickinson State Park, veered off the roadway, and burst into flames. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.
Four people were injured in the crash:
- - A 6-year-old child suffered internal injuries and was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center
- - A 4-year-old child was transported by ambulance
- - Two adults were also injured
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said all four victims are expected to survive and make a full recovery despite the severity of the crash.
The vehicle's tag was registered to an elderly South Florida woman, but authorities have not yet identified the suspect through fingerprint analysis.