LANTANA, Fla. — A new video we obtained shows the moments before a deadly crash on Dixie Highway in Lantana — capturing a Jeep Wrangler speeding along the road and striking a truck before triggering an eight-vehicle pileup that left one man dead and others seriously hurt.
Sal Perna, who owns a car rental business near the scene, was inside when the crash happened on Tuesday. He witnessed the driver of the Jeep traveling at extreme speeds before the crash.
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"I saw this Jeep, 4-door Jeep go by here at I would guesstimate 100 mph," said Perna.
Investigators say the Jeep hit a truck near Ocean Avenue and Dixie Highway, fled the scene, then slammed into stopped traffic — causing the pileup. Two people were trauma-hawked from the scene.
67-year-old Jose Bedoya was killed in the crash. His son shared a statement remembering his father:
"My father was the most hard working selfless person to ever exist he was the kind of man to take the spoon out of his own mouth to feed his own, the last person in the world to deserve leaving this world in such way would be him, the most patient and humble man to ever roam earth one who tried embracing love and peace even in the most dire circumstances, a true light in your day if you ever bumped into him, now our days are left with nothing but darkness.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family and can be found here.
"I hear some noise and I didn't realize it was such a major collision," Perna said.
Perna said the scale of the destruction was unlike anything he had seen in his 11 years at the location.
"I was in shock that there were so many vehicles involved," Perna said. "To the point where they were unrecognizable.”
Perna is now calling for increased police presence on Dixie Highway, saying dangerous driving is a daily occurrence.
"11 years I've been sitting at this desk and every day I see people spending 50, 60, 70 miles an hour," Perna said. "This is just not safe. Something needs to be done.”
Investigators confirmed the case remains an ongoing, active investigation when asked whether charges against the driver are still pending.
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