A Flagler County man lost his life near 1 a.m. this morning when his car rolled over from the I-95 exit ramp to Palm Coast Parkway and ended up submerged and upside down in a retention pond.
Palm Coast Acting Fire Chief Bradd Clark said units were dispatched at about 1 a.m. for a severe crash after reports that “the driver was driving erratically” and had rolled into the pond. Two engine companies and a battalion chief were dispatched.
Crew members from the first arriving engine and the fire rescue unit dove into the water “to see if there was a viable patient,” Clark said. There was not.
The man had been driving north when he took the Exit 289 ramp. “He was flying,” said John Rogers, owner of John’s Towing, which the Florida Highway Patrol dispatched to the scene. Clark referred to a “higher speed rollover.”
The car, a Volkswagen GTI, veered off the ramp, struck a tree then went into the water about 40 feet from the embankment. It was entirely submerged. (“I’m part of a car group with him,” a commenter wrote on the Flagler County Sheriff’s Facebook page notice about the crash earlier today. “Unfortunately a lot of them like to go to 95 or other main roads to race.”)
A John’s Towing crew member dove into the water to connect the car to the truck. Rogers pulled the car out of the water at 2:10 a.m.
FHP’s Troy Harper was the traffic homicide investigator at the scene. The investigation required the off ramp to be closed for several hours. It was still closed nearing 7 this morning. The body was claimed by the medical examiner in St. Augustine for an autopsy, as is usually the case with traffic fatalities.
The crash resulted in the 10th road fatality of the year in Flagler County, the fifth involving a car (the other fatalities were motorcyclists, cyclists and a pedestrian). As of May 30, the Florida Highway Patrol had tabulated 457 crashes in the county and 223 injuries.
The Truth says
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Sorry they lost their life, but I am glad they didn’t take an innocent persons life.
JimboXYZ says
“Too fast, too furious.”, he’s Palm Coast’s Paul Walker ? And that’s not in a good way.
Earlier in the day, I ran across yet another selfish pr*ck that thought he could pass everyone that was waiting in traffic ahead of him for the Belle Terre construction southbound at Rymfire. He drives a Maserati SUV. I hope he reads this comment & realizes what he did to the rest of us that are playing by the rules.
Alice says
You actually don’t know what truly happened. This is my cousin, and we spoke to the police. And it wasn’t anything to do with “playing stupid games.” So before you speak on things you don’t know, take a second to check yourself.
The truth hurts says
Exactly. They were in a racing group – and it happened at 1am – its OBVIOUS what was going on. They are likely doing a full investigation into the other car that was mentioned. Black BMW-like car with NO headlights speeding on the highway around the same time. Charges pending, i’m sure. Then we will get the FULL story.
Skibum says
Today’s newer cars have upwards of 50+ computers in them to run and monitor all of the various systems. Unfortunately, that is many times more brains than those who drive recklessly on our roadways, endangering their own lives as well as others.
celia says
They race in and out PC Parkway until 2 am…The PCP has become a Daytona 500 Raceway…and our law enforcement units need to star ticketing these crazy mostly young drivers a real risk for innocent lives! Many of them gather loitering and raving their engines at the Wawa and in and out of there racing. We have called the sheriff and Wawa home office and so far were good response and the activity has diminished. But still our sheriff traffic units need to be posted in Palm Coast Parkway and ticketing as high as needed to these multitude of irresponsible young drivers and also e-bikers. Their racing in our public roads is deadly to all and also themselves. Sorry for the loss of a young life.
Jay Tomm says
2 events within 12 hours….Someone was driving the wrong way on the off ramp yesterday morning as well…..
Flagler county growth…….
Excellent says
God bless the emergency services! Rescue attempts had a remarkable fast response.
Thank you to the people who put their lives on the line daily.
Atwp says
People be careful while driving, Mother Nature and curves don’t negotiate.
Second recent death??? says
Didn’t we just have a fatality in that same retention pond a year or two ago? Maybe time for a guard rail?