RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A former Riviera Beach police officer was convicted Thursday of two counts of vehicular homicide related to a fatal crash on June 18, 2023.
Carl Rashad Johnson, 35, was on duty and driving a marked police cruiser when he collided with a 2019 Hyundai Genesis G80 at approximately 1 a.m. at the intersection of Australian Avenue and West 13th Street.
The crash resulted in the deaths of the Hyundai's driver, Danielle Bell, 43, and her passenger, Rodneshia Saunders, 29. Johnson suffered serious injuries and was rendered unconscious by the impact.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, which took over the investigation, Johnson was traveling southbound on Australian Avenue at speeds nearing 90 mph—almost three times the speed limit—when he failed to slow down at a marked railroad crossing. As he traversed the tracks, the vehicle “violently jarred up and down,” witnesses reported.
The Genesis was making a left turn onto West 13th Street when Johnson crashed into its right side, forcing the vehicle into a light pole before it flipped over, as detailed in the arrest report.
In-car video revealed Johnson's high-speed maneuvers, with data showing he was traveling at 94 mph just five seconds before the crash. He did not have his emergency lights or sirens activated at the time.
Johnson was arrested several months post-incident and subsequently terminated from the police department. He is set for sentencing on July 7 at 1:30 p.m.