Man fleeing officers crashed into car, ejecting and killing girl, 6, police say
A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with a crash in Coral Springs on Sunday afternoon that killed a 6-year-old girl, police said.
Chevon Graham, of Sunrise, was driving a 2023 Mercedes-Benz with two passengers shortly after 5 p.m., and an officer on patrol attempted to pull the car over for a traffic violation near the 8500 block of West Sample Road, the police department said in a news release shared on social media. Police did not say what traffic violation Graham was being pulled over for.
The Mercedes sped off when the officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens, and the police department said the officer “discontinued the traffic stop by immediately shutting off his emergency lights and siren,” in accordance with their pursuit policy.
Pursuits are not to be initiated for any traffic offenses, the police department’s policy says, and if a driver flees and the offense does not meet the criteria for a chase, officers must turn off their lights and sirens, notify dispatch and either turn away from the fleeing car or stop driving. The policy says officers are not to follow the path of the fleeing car unless they hear of or are informed of a crash.
The Mercedes driver continued speeding away from the officer, heading west on Sample Road and crashed into a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, police said. The force ejected the 6-year-old girl from the Chevrolet, who was “secured” in a car seat, the police department said.
She was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. The driver of the Chevrolet was taken to Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach and was expected to recover. Their identities were not released.
Graham, who was identified at the scene as the driver of the Mercedes-Benz, and the two passengers in his car were taken to Broward Health North. They were expected to recover, Coral Springs Police said.
Broward County jail records show Graham was being held in the North Broward Bureau as of Tuesday night on charges of vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer causing injury or death, second offense driving with a suspended license, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and reckless driving causing property damage.
Court records and Graham’s attorney information were not available Tuesday night.