Boynton-area man reached speeds near 100 mph in moments before May fatal crash, police say
BOYNTON BEACH — A Boynton Beach-area man drove at speeds close to 100 mph in the moments before a crash that killed one man and injured another last month, Boynton Beach police said in announcing his arrest.
Officers arrested Paul Octavious McCormack, 31, on Thursday on one count of vehicular homicide in the May 13 crash that killed Kevin Fanholz, 49, of suburban Boynton Beach.
McCormack made his first court appearance Friday at the Palm Beach County Jail, where County Judge Ted Booras set his bail at $250,000. McCormack remained in custody as of Friday afternoon, jail records showed.
According to a Boynton Beach police arrest report, McCormack was driving at 95 mph in a 45 mph zone just seconds before the three-vehicle collision, which occurred about 8 a.m. near the intersection of Boynton Beach and Winchester Park boulevards.
Investigators said Fanholz was attempting to make a left turn into a gas station parking lot from the westbound lane of Boynton Beach Boulevard when McCormack's eastbound Chevrolet Malibu sedan struck his Toyota Sienna minivan.
The impact caused the minivan to become airborne, with the vehicle hitting a Toyota Corolla Matrix compact car as it came back down, police said. McCormack received treatment at the scene for minor injuries, and the driver of the Matrix received care at a hospital.
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McCormack reportedly told investigators he was driving between at 47 and 55 mph at the time of the collision. He told officers he was traveling east when he suddenly observed a minivan turn in front him.
McCormack told officers he did not see what happened next as his airbag had deployed.
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However, data recovered from the Malibu's airbag control module showed that the vehicle slowed to 95 mph from 98 just before impact, police said. Investigators said Fanholz waited for a break in traffic to attempt his turn but likely could not account for the speed and distance of McCormack's vehicle due to its excessive speed.
The report did not indicate that McCormack was under the influence of any intoxicants. McCormack told officers that he was on his way to work.
Julius Whigham II is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com. Help support our work: Subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida man faces vehicular homicide charge after crash near 100 mph
