Before dawn Sunday, two pickups collided in a Tamarac intersection, but Broward Sheriff’s Office traffic homicide investigators say the real tragedy happened after the crash. One of the drivers got out to inspect the damage to his truck. As he stood on Commercial Boulevard in the dark looking at his Nissan’s crumpled front end, a third truck driver hit him, causing fatal injuries.
Just before the fatal impact, the driver in the initial crash fled the scene. Tamarac Fire Rescue firefighters heard the crash from their station on the adjacent corner. They ran to the scene to help the injured man and transported him to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. BSO investigators identified him as 58-year-old John W. Jenkins of Valla Rica, Georgia, who was with his wife and 18-year-old son on their way back home after a weekend in South Florida.
BSO detectives made a plea to the public Sunday morning for the driver that fled to contact them. With the help of Florida Turnpike officials, they obtained video of a dark blue Chevy Avalanche leaving the scene after the initial crash. Just after 1:30 p.m., investigators located that damaged truck partially concealed in a parking spot at a Pompano Beach apartment building. The airbags had been deployed. The investigation is ongoing to determine who was driving the Avalanche when it hit Jenkins’ truck.
The driver of the Dodge Ram that hit Jenkins is 32-year-old Jerson R. Paul of Tamarac. He stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators after the fatal crash, which also remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Traffic Homicide Det. Michael Wiley at (954) 321-4840 or report anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers of Broward County at (9540 493-TIPS (8477) or online at www.browardcrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $3000 for tips that lead to an arrest.
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