Investigators are trying to determine if a fatal multi-car accident near Fort Lauderdale was caused by a police pursuit.
The fatal multi-car accident that killed two women and left one injured occurred near Fort Lauderdale at NW 27th Avenue and Sixth Street around 4 p.m. Sunday.
Trumane Simpson and his friend Tony Cole tell 7News they saw the accident involving a black Dodge Durango, a white Tesla and allegedly an unmarked police vehicle.
The front side of the Tesla was destroyed, and the windshield was blown out. The Durango sustained considerable side damage. The third vehicle, believed to be the unmarked police vehicle by witnesses, was seen flipped upside down on its roof in the middle of the street.
Simpson and Cole said they desperately tried to save the three women in the Durango.
“The lady I was praying with, I see her now, not even in my sleep, just daytime,” said Simpson.
For the three women in the Durango, the situation was dire.
“The girl, she was hanging from the driver’s side because we couldn’t get into the passenger’s side. So we went to the driver’s side. She was hanging,” said Simpson.
“I was telling her, ‘Don’t talk, don’t talk, I’m gonna get your friends out of the car, we’re gonna get your girls out of the car,’” said Cole. “I got blood on me.”
“He handed me his knife, I pulled my knife, gave it to Tony. Tony cut the seatbelt. It was terrible,” said Simpson.
Two of the women in that car, identified as Lisa Jackson and Geraldine Francis, did not survive.
The driver of the Tesla, identified as 19-year-old Gavin Dorvil, was taken to the hospital. His condition remains unknown.
A third victim is in critical condition.
Cellphone video captures Dorvil on the ground as Broward County Sheriff’s officers were attending to him before he was transported to the hospital.
Simpson and Cole said they saw the Tesla headed west on NW 27th Avenue and believed it was being pursued by the alleged unmarked police vehicle at high speeds.
That was echoed by some in the crowd watching the rescue efforts.
“Why were they chasing cause he [inaudible] dark tinted windows,” said a witness.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on,” said a BSO officer.
“High speed chase leads to all these people getting hurt,” said another witness.
“The white car was speeding, so when we see one car, we know it’s an undercover car, we just know,” said Simpson. “No sirens, no lights, come on man.”
On Tuesday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed Internal Affairs investigators are trying to determine if any BSO units were pursuing the Tesla before the crash.
BSO added a gun was recovered from the Tesla.
“I feel like, I don’t know whose fault it was, but if it was unauthorized, then it’s the officer’s fault,” said Simpson.
Internal Affairs has not yet confirmed if there was a police pursuit or whether one was authorized.
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Source: wsvn
