Woman, 30, killed in Broward turnpike crash. Troopers say man was driving on shoulder
A 30-year-old woman parked on the shoulder of Florida’s Turnpike was killed early Thursday morning when a man driving a Jeep crashed into the back of her Acura, destroying half of her car, closing the highway’s northbound lanes for hours and backing up rush hour traffic for miles in Broward County, troopers said.
Around 3 a.m., the woman was parked on the turnpike’s northbound shoulder, south of Coconut Creek Parkway, when a 31-year-old man driving a 2015 yellow Jeep Wrangler SUV crashed into her 2009 white Acura TSX sedan, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement.
The Panama City Beach woman died on the highway, troopers said. Her name will not be released until her family members are notified.
According to investigators, the Coconut Creek man was improperly driving the Jeep on the shoulder. They said he did not slow, stop or maneuver to avoid crashing into the Acura.
The man, whose Jeep flipped on its side, received minor injuries, troopers said. His name has not been released.
It is unknown why the man was driving the Jeep on the shoulder, Trooper Raeford Griffin told the Miami Herald on Thursday.
“I can confirm this is now an active criminal investigation, not just a traffic homicide investigation,” Griffin said.
Footage from the 7News helicopter showed the Jeep on its side and the mangled white Acura. A video from NBC6 showed the Acura with extensive rear damage.
The northbound lanes were reopened after 9 a.m., about six hours after the crash. Traffic had previously backed up to Commercial Boulevard.
Adding to the rush-hour delays, a section of east Atlantic Boulevard was closed due to a diesel fuel spill from an 18-wheeler towing an Amazon trailer, 7News reported.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published March 28, 2024 at 7:17 AM.
