Riviera Beach officer faces vehicular homicide charges after Father’s Day crash kills two

RIVIERA BEACH — A Riviera Beach police officer is facing two counts of vehicular homicide following a high-speed Father’s Day crash at an intersection in the city.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested Carl Johnson late Thursday, and the Riviera Beach Police Department said Friday morning that it had fired him.

Danielle Belle, 43, and Rodneshia L. Sanders, 29, died in the wreck, which took place just after 1 a.m. June 18 at Australian Avenue and West 13th Street, near Lincoln Elementary School along the city’s southern border.

An arrest report said Johnson, 32, was driving a Riviera Beach police cruiser at the time of the crash. A city police spokesperson said Friday morning that she could not confirm whether Johnson was on duty at the time, or if he was responding to a call for service.

PBSO took over the crash investigation at the request of city police, a sheriff’s spokesperson said.

According to the arrest report, video recorded by the patrol vehicle’s in-car camera showed that its emergency lights and sirens were not activated as Johnson sped south on Australian Avenue.

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During a hearing Friday at the Palm Beach County Jail, County Judge Ted Booras set Johnson’s bail at $100,000 and ordered that his release be under court supervision. Johnson surrendered his passport in open court, and Booras ordered that he refrain either from driving or having any contact with witnesses or the victims’ families.

Attorney Steven A. Cohen, who is representing Johnson, said PBSO’s probable-cause affidavit was missing facts that the defense believes to be relevant.

“We feel that after all the evidence comes out, Carl will be exonerated,” he said.

Investigators say that prior to the crash, Johnson made a right turn onto Australian from Blue Heron Boulevard and began accelerating to almost three times the 35 mph speed limit.

Information from the vehicle’s event data recorder showed that that Johnson’s cruiser was traveling at 94 mph about five seconds before the crash and 87 mph the moment its airbags were deployed, the report said.

Investigators say Johnson’s vehicle and a 2022 Dodge Charger sedan driven by Belle approached the intersection of Australian and 13th while traveling in opposite directions. Belle was attempting to turn left onto 13th from northbound Australian when Johnson’s patrol vehicle struck the Dodge.

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The front end of the police car violently hit the Dodge’s passenger side, with the force of the collision redirecting both vehicles to the southwest, the report said. The Dodge struck a light pole as it came it a final stop.

Belle and Sanders both died at the scene. Johnson was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center to be treated for critical injuries.

A database operated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement says Riviera Beach police hired Johnson in March 2017. The department issued its statement announcing his firing hours after deputies booked him into the jail.

“The incident has been determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in charges against him,” the statement said.

“Dedicated to upholding the highest standards and preserving public trust, the Riviera Beach Police Department has discontinued employment with Carl Johnson. Our sympathies go out to the families impacted by this incident, and we extend our sincere condolences.”

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

Tom Elia is an editor at The Palm Beach Post, overseeing coverage of public safety, the courts and Palm Beach County’s northern and western communities. You can reach him at telia@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Police officer faces vehicular homicide charges after Father’s Day crash