Tower Down - 10.08.22 (FL) "Updated 12.31.23"

[TowZone]

FHP: Mother identifies tow truck driver hit, killed on turnpike near Plantation

 

Alcohol may have been a factor as driver plows into tow-truck, vehicles on side of road, preliminary investigation shows

 

 

PLANTATION, Fla. – A family is grieving after a tragic accident on the Florida Turnpike near Plantation early Saturday morning.

Melinda Cruz Brooks said it was her son, 22-year-old Darryl Brooks III of North Lauderdale, who was hit and killed.

 

According to Florida Highway Patrol, Brooks had pulled over around 5 a.m. in his tow truck to help a driver whose car had broken down. That’s when a man in a pick-up truck swerved into the shoulder of the road and slammed into Brooks’ truck.

 

An FHP report said the driver of a 2002 Ford 250, driven by a 42-year-old man from Margate, was traveling on the outside lane and plowed into the tow truck.

 

Brooks, who was outside of the vehicle at the time of the crash, was injured and taken to Broward General where he was pronounced dead.

 

FHP says that the driver veered off the roadway entering the paved right shoulder and collided with the tow truck pushing the truck into the disabled vehicle and the other vehicle of a relative who had come to render help.

 

Three lanes of the interstate were blocked for hours as the investigation into how the crash happened continued.

 

According to FHP, “alcohol is believed to be a factor and investigators continue to work on the criminal investigation.”

 

“My child was 22 years old. He didn’t get to experience life, he didn’t have no children, he didn’t get to get married,” Melinda Cruz Brooks said. The Brooks family is now demanding justice.

 

“Somebody else’s stupid mistake. You wanted to drive drunk and did not know that you were taking somebody that was loved and was just trying to help someone that was on the side of the road.”

 

FHP has not released if anyone else was injured.

 

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Arrest made in 2022 multi-vehicle crash on Florida's Turnpike that killed tow truck driver

 

 

 

PLANTATION — A man was arrested this weekend for his involvement in a 2022 multi-vehicle crash on Florida's Turnpike that left a young tow truck driver dead.

 

Florida Highway Patrol announced early Saturday morning that 42-year-old Lucas Cerotti of Margate had been arrested and charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI property damage and reckless driving resulting in personal injury and/or property damage.

 

Back on Oct. 8, 2022, around 5:04 a.m., an FHP trooper was traveling southbound on Florida's Turnpike just south of Sunrise Boulevard within Plantation city limits when he observed a four-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of the area. He then responded to the scene, where he found that it also involved three pedestrians and resulted in one fatality, which prompted another trooper to respond.

 

According to police investigations at the time, three vehicles of the four vehicles were stopped upon the outside paved shoulder of the northbound lanes, with a Toyota Sequoia parked ahead of the Chevrolet Colorado, which was parked ahead of a Ford F-450 tow truck. The Toyota was disabled due to a flat tire, and its driver called assistance from the Chevrolet driver as the tow truck responded to the scene, the warrant affidavit stated.

 

With the tow truck amber lights flashing, the tow truck driver -- who was identified as 22-year-old Darryl Larueso Brooks -- was standing in front of his vehicle at the time of the crash.

 

Meanwhile, a Ford F-250 was traveling northbound upon the outside lane of the turnpike and approaching the three other vehicles. Its driver -- Cerotti -- failed to maintain a single lane and entered onto the shoulder before crashing into the rear end of the tow truck. The tow truck then struck Brooks before continuing to push forward and colliding with the other two vehicles.

 

Brooks was then transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where was pronounced dead later that morning.

 

According to the affidavit, the trooper determined Cerotti to be the driver at fault due to him still sitting inside his truck at the time of law enforcement's response to the scene. The driver seat compartment was swabbed as there was blood left in the seat, which was contained as evidence for further confirmation.

 

Then on Oct. 28, FHP recevied the final toxicology report from the crash, which showed that Cerotti's blood tested positive for alcohol and showed signs of impairment with levels above the 0.08 legal limt, even though the sample was taken about five-and-a-half hours after the crash occurred, the affidavit stated.

 

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