Search fatalities

Rudolfo Villanueva

Age : 36

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 05/19/2021

Location : FL-29 and Farm Worker Way

City : Immokalee

County : Collier

State : Florida

Agency : Collier County Sheriff’s Office; Hendry County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

.
REASON FOR CHASE: Stolen dump truck
.
NARRATIVE:
On 05/19/2021 at approximately 7:00 p.m., Rudolfo Villanueva, 36, was driving a 2015 Mack dump truck that had been reported stolen in LaBelle. The truck's driver had left it unattended near a Burger King on South Hall Street and discovered it missing when he returned. Hendry County sheriff's deputies began pursuing the truck and requested assistance from the Collier County Sheriff's Office as Villanueva traveled toward Immokalee on State Road 29.
.
Collier County deputies attempted to stop Villanueva after the pursuit entered their jurisdiction. During the chase, police alleged Villanueva drove erratically and struck a vehicle on New Market Road, injuring its driver. He continued driving the dump truck and collided with another vehicle before entering Farm Workers Village, a residential area in Immokalee. Available public reporting does not establish a reliable pursuit distance or maximum speed, so neither is estimated here.
.
The pursuit continued through Farm Workers Village. Collier County authorities said attempts to stop the dump truck were unsuccessful and at least one Collier County deputy fired at the truck. The dump truck subsequently left the roadway and crashed into a canal near State Road 29 and Farm Worker Way. Villanueva was found dead inside the truck.
.
The Collier County Medical Examiner was assigned to perform an autopsy to determine Villanueva's cause and manner of death. Although deputies fired at the dump truck immediately before the crash, the public follow-up reporting I could locate does not establish that Villanueva was struck by the deputies' gunfire or identify gunshot wounds as his cause of death. The available case record instead documents his death following the canal crash.
.
The driver of the vehicle struck on New Market Road was injured. Public reporting did not provide that person's identity or characterize the injuries as critical. A second vehicle was also struck during the pursuit, but the available reporting does not document additional serious injuries from that collision.
.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office placed the deputy who fired at the dump truck on administrative leave while the shooting and fatal crash were investigated. Despite an extensive search of later reporting and publicly searchable records, I could not reliably identify that deputy by name or locate a subsequent public report establishing discipline, criminal charges, a civil settlement, or a lawsuit arising from Villanueva's death.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Collier County Sheriff's Office did not publicly identify the deputy who fired at Villanueva's dump truck or the other deputies who participated in the pursuit. The shooting deputy was placed on administrative leave following the incident.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/driver-deceased-after-leading-deputies-on-chase-in-stolen-dump-truck
https://www.winknews.com/2021/05/19/suspect-dead-after-dump-truck-chase-deputy-involved-shooting-with-crash/
https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/collier-county/deputy-involved-shooting-crash-in-immokalee-leaves-one-dead
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2021/05/19/collier-deputies-shoot-stolen-dump-truck-driver-who-dies-after-crash/5171919001/
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article251553178.html
https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/dump-truck-thief-dies-after-leading-deputies-on-chase-in-immokalee/46735516