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Patricia Schmelz

Gender : Female

Age : 68

Race : White

Date : 05/10/2024

Location : West Copans Road

City : Pompano Beach

County : Broward

State : Florida

Agency : Hallandale Beach Police Department, Broward County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 05/10/2024, at approximately 11 p.m., officers from the Hallandale Beach Police Department and deputies from the Broward County Sheriff's Office pursued a 2016 Dodge Charger suspected in an armed carjacking. The vehicle, driven by a 17-year-old male, traveled northbound on Interstate 95, reaching speeds of up to 135 mph. Reports indicate that the fleeing vehicle reached speeds of approximately 135 miles per hour during the chase. The pursuit ended at the intersection of West Copans Road in Pompano Beach, Florida, when the Charger ran a red light while attempting a left turn. At the same time, Patricia Schmelz, a 68-year-old bystander, was proceeding through the intersection on a green light in her 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The Charger crashed into Schmelz' vehicle, resulting in a T-bone crash. Emergency responders transported Schmelz to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
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NUMBER OF CASUALTIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality.
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Last Update: 12/03/2024

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/pompano-beach-fatal-police-chase-2024
https://www.local10.com/news/florida/broward/police-chase-results-in-bystander-death-in-pompano-beach/
https://www.wsvn.com/news/local/bystander-killed-in-crash-following-police-chase-in-pompano-beach/