Last Updated: Monday, 4:26 p.m.
Thomas Francis Rando, the 33-year-old Bunnell man who drove–without a license–the truck that crashed and killed 10-year-old passenger Hannah Beard and critically injured her mother on I-95 two years ago, died of a drug overdose Saturday morning at a house in Palm Coast’s Woodlands.
Rando, a convicted felon with a dozen arrests in Flagler County since 2008, was on probation for felony drug offenses, and was awaiting trial on a third-degree felony charge of driving on a suspended license and causing death or serious injury. He was out on bond, due in court on Feb. 11 for a pre-trial following his arrest on the felony driving charge less than a year ago. His pre-trial release order forbade him from consuming alcohol or illegal drugs or having contact with the victims who survived the crash. He was re-arrested last September for violating his pre-trial release order and released after bond was raised to $10,000–which he posted.
The maximum penalty Rando faced had he been found guilty was five years in prison.
At 7:13 his girlfriend called 911 to report that Rando may have overdosed on heroin, according to 911 notes and a recording of the the 911 call.
“I think my boyfriend OD’d,” she tells the dispatcher through tears.
“Is he breathing?” the dispatcher asks after asking what he may have taken.
“No,” the girlfriend replies.
The dispatcher asked his girlfriend if she wanted to try CPR. She refers to a nurse in the house and tells the dispatcher she did not think it was worth it–“she told me it’s not even worth it, I don’t even know–what to do,” she says.
“It’s up to you, if you want to try CPR, I can tell you how to do it,” the dispatcher says.
Audio: The 911 Call
He felt “a little bit” cold to the touch. The woman said she had last seen him an hour earlier. (Two minutes into the call, the woman says a nurse has started CPR.) The girlfriend is given a choice–she can leave the room if she prefers, or keep the dispatcher informed if Rando starts breathing again. She continues to answer the dispatcher’s questions. About three minutes into the call, she goes outside to wait for the ambulance, but she continues to speak with the dispatcher.
“Has he ever overdosed before?” the dispatcher asks.
“Not like this,” the woman answers, saying he may have been “out for a minute here and there, but not like this.”
The dispatcher asked her how he was when she’d seen him an hour before. “He was breathing,” she said. “I thought he was just sleeping, but–I checked his pulse and I checked his breathing and he was fine.”
“But he had his eyes closed?”
“Yeah.”
“From what you could see were there any needles around him, just for safety reasons?” the dispatcher asks.
The woman confirms there were. “I took one already, I threw it away,” she said. (“There were needles around him,” is how the 911 dispatcher relayed the information to responders. “The way that he was laying is what scared me because he was laying face down.”
There were a half dozen people in the house at 1 Black Hawk Place (“six of us, I believe,” was how the woman described it to the dispatcher), where the incident unfolded. Within eight minutes Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies had arrived at the scene and were administering Narcan, the substance designed to restore normal breathing in patients experiencing an overdose, among other uses. Rando did not respond. “Thomas had no pulse, was not breathing and was unresponsive,” one of the deputies reported.
Flagler County Fire Rescue and Palm Coast Fire Department paramedics soon took over CPR and administered another dose of Narcan with no better results, and at 7:41 took Rando to AdventHealth Palm Coast. A crime scene was established at the house and turned over to sheriff’s detectives.
Thomas Francis Rando was pronounced dead at 8 a.m.
The evening of Nov. 17, 2017, Rando was driving a Ford F-150 pick-up, entering I-95 southbound from Palm Coast Parkway, when he lost control of the vehicle, which crossed all three southbound lanes and struck the guardrail, overturning the truck and killing Hannah, who had been a student at Bunnell Elementary School. Her mother, Nichole, 37 at the time, and Hannah’s older brother by one year were all in the vehicle and severely injured. At the time of the crash Rando had been cited three times in just the previous six months for driving without a license.
He was arrested shortly after the crash on drug charges, was found guilty on all four charges, two of them third-degree felonies, sentenced to two months at the local jail, which he had already served, six months of community control, or house arrest, followed by two years’ probation, which he violated. He was subsequently sentenced to six months in jail, and last booked out of the county jail last Sept. 20.
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Veteran says
Good.
Auntie says
Because he killed my niece, that’s why
Average citizen says
Why is this news.?? A criminal died….so what??????
Anonymous says
The victims girlfriend absolutely did not say that performing CPR was not worth it. And the occupants of the home were the only people there and Mr. Rando was given permission to be there as a guest to his girlfriend wbo resides there. Please keep in mind there is always 3 sides to all stories.
Person A point of view
Person B point of view
Actual facts of the situation
The bottom line is that a tragic death occurred, his family and friends are grieving and his soul is at peace. The rest is just extra gossip here in the “Six Degrees of Palm Coast”
Kimberly George says
Well said.
Your friendly neighborhood drug dealer... says
Thank goodness this pos overdosed before he could hurt someone else.
Kodie manning says
#JusticeForHannah
Sherri says
#JUSTICEFORHANNA
IzzySchoen says
Total waste of life.
Dennis says
Bail is way too cheap around here. Up north, his bail would hsd been many times the amount here. Time to toughen up the courts.
Doug says
Stop comparing to “up north”. Conform with our laws in the State of Florida or go back “up north”. Flagler County was once a beautiful and tranquil place to live until people from “up north” moved here.
ConstantlyAmazed says
This wasn’t a life, it was an existence. An existence which cause so much pain and suffering to so many others. Finally we as a society are rid of him.
Bill says
12 arrests since 2008?? why the HELL was this guy out and on the loose with decent people??
Joe says
Every single one of you people who are passing judgment should be ashamed of yourself . Everyone at one time or another have made mistake or had demons they were over coming . How dare you say Thank God he is dead ! Your ignorance is pathetic ! There is a mother , brother , sister , grandparents , friends that loved him even through his horrible mistakes in life . You never know someone’s background . You think if it was a family member of yours , u should not pass any judgment n kept your mouth shut . Karma my friends you wish bad apon someone it will come right back at you . Leave this family alone n let them mourn there lost .
Hannahs mom says
Well said
Duane Russell says
You’re right. I know his mother and family. Yes stupid choices he made but he was a friend. And any of these jackasses who are anonymous want to run their mouths perhaps you should not be cowards and post your names.
Michelle says
JUSTICE FOR HANNAH
SAFETY FOR FAMILY
CLOSURE FOR FAMILY
Layla says
You can see a stark physical difference between the earlier mug shot and the most recent. He clearly was suffering. Such a tragedy for all involved. No life is ever wasted. What is sad is to read the little regard others have for people like this.
NYPD says
It’s not a tragic death.He’s convicted felon who took a life of an innocent girl.Who had no right to be hind the wheel.How do you think the little girls family is feeling?What about the little girls classmates who have to deal with such a tradedy at such young ages.He New he was WRONG that’s why he took his life.To bad he didn’t do it earlier before the TRAGIC ACCIDENT OF INNOCENCE HANNA!!!!
JacquiR says
This is tragic, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.
I also will pray for those with their hateful comments. This man had a problem. Yes, he was a drug addict. No different than the alcoholics, gluttons, porn addicts, shopping addicts- and the numerous ways we abuse ourselves when we can’t cope!
I wonder what addictions those saying hateful things have? Maybe look at the log in your eye before judging the splinter in his?
My heart breaks because no one “wins” here. Not Hannah’s family. Not his family. No one.
Hannahs mom says
Well said
Andrew says
I’m pretty stunned to read such hateful comments about someone people didn’t even know. Tom was a good man. He made mistakes but we all have. He was a good friend to me and my family and one of a kind. He surely doesn’t deserve the hateful comments.
Shoregal says
Layla,
This person had little regard for Hannah’s life…
ASf says
Are there actually Probation Officers assigned to keep track of these people who are released “on conditions”?
Ritchie says
There is so much judgement and relief. Forgetting it is a loss of a young life.
He was suck in the cycle of addiction that his environment is creating and abetting.
All to sad and too bad.
Dawn says
He got off easy.
Nichole says
By the grace of God go you….Pray that someone YOU love in your lives doesn’t have their lives taken over by an addiction that is so powerful it literally consumes your soul. I’ve lost my brother..my closest friends and watched as countless others addicted to this drug die. And as a helpless family member of an addict .. I hope none of you have to go through this pain of seeing your loved one change into someone you ..or they don’t recognize..and then watch as they pass.
RIP Tom Rando
Jj says
This is so unbelievably sad. Just tragic. I pray for everyone involved. From Hannah’s family to his. Unfortunately, drug addiction makes bad decisions a norm. There are few lucky ones, especially with the drugs that are out there today. He looks like an ok dude in the cycle. Drug addiction takes good people and makes them criminals. I guarantee he never ever wanted to hurt a kid and their family. Please everyone pray for our sick and suffering. May the lord help us.
B says
#JusticeForHannah!
He should of been kept in jail, very sad.
Duane Russell says
This was sad
I mean the ridiculous response many of you posted. You should be so Lucky you are perfect.
RIP Tom.
RIP sweet Hannah
Toms family prayers.
This was not Justice for Hannah
Hannahs Mom is not on this thread.
Auntie is not on this thread.
Reluctantly praying for your sorry as….
Bad bunny says
Everyone makes their own decisions. Stop giving him excuses.
Hannahs mom says
Listen this is HANNAHS MOM!
My daughter was kind and loving she wouldnt of wanted him to do this she would of wanted him to get better and share his story to save others and she hated bullys so she wouldnt of talk crap about any human being. ultimately i was not doing my job as a mother, i thought i was but was clouded by my own bad choices. although i never drove or allowed my kids in a car while someone is under the influence! but i can own my part in i should of been more aware of the people i was around! I will grieve my daughter and have the guilt of what if for the rest of my life. The torcher tom had i can only imagine knowing her blood was on his hands. Regardless every life on earth matters addiction is real and is hard to recover from!
So please just allow all of us
My family and toms to grieve and the whole situation is bad and there is plenty of blame to go around i lost part of my soul that night but i try hard everyday for my orher kids
Please people stop the hate please hannah woukdnt of wanted it like this
starryid says
Your love, forgiveness and compassion are virtues that many people will never possess.
Thank you, Hannah’s Mom for being an inspiration to us all at such a sad time. May God Bless you and comfort you!