He cut off a car on Florida's Turnpike. A fatal wreck followed. Now he faces a manslaughter charge.

BOCA RATON — A Greenacres man is facing criminal charges following his arrest more than a year after a multivehicle crash on Florida's Turnpike that killed a Central Florida teen.

Daquan Smith, Jr., 17, of Apopka died in the April 6, 2021, wreck near the Glades Road exit west of Boca Raton.

Investigators took Gregory Lowe, 39, into custody Friday on one count of vehicular manslaughter and three counts of aggravated battery. He is free on $120,000 bail. Circuit Court Judge Sarah Shullman ordered Lowe to refrain from driving and to have no contact with the victims.

For subscribers: Mom who left baby in dumpster near Boca Raton pleads guilty to attempted murder, heads to prison

For subscribers: Meet the 80-year-old prosecutor making the case for Nikolas Cruz receiving the death penalty

For subscribers: Jury rejects Acreage families' claim that Pratt & Whitney caused cancer cluster among children

Van seen 'aggressively entering the center lane,' FHP says in report

Florida Highway Patrol investigators say Lowe, in an apparent act of road rage, deliberately cut off a southbound Toyota Camry, causing the sedan to veer off the roadway and overturn south of the Glades Road exit near Boca Raton.

Smith died when he was ejected from the Toyota. He was a passenger traveling with his parents, who had non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver and passenger of a Chevrolet Silverado also sustained injuries when the vehicle crashed into the Toyota as its driver tried to avoid the collision.

According to an FHP report, Lowe was traveling south in the center lane behind the Toyota when he changed to the inside lane. He intentionally cut the Toyota off, "aggressively entering the center lane," the report said.

A witness told investigators Lowe cut in front of the Toyota on three separate occasions, eventually causing the sedan to overturn as it veered off the roadway and struck a metal guardrail.

Van driver believed Toyota had cut him off 'last week,' investigators say

A man driving a private ambulance called 911 and followed Lowe's van as it left the crash scene. Lowe traveled for about 3 miles before pulling over, believing the ambulance had arrived to check on his medical condition, the report said.

He exited his vehicle and began making spontaneous statements about being sick of other vehicles cutting him off, FHP reported.

"People are always cutting me off in this (expletive). That same vehicle cut me off last week," Lowe told the ambulance driver, according to FHP's report.

Lowe told FHP investigators that the Toyota driver cut him off and was driving in a "slightly erratic" manner.

Daquan Smith Sr. told investigators he believed Lowe's actions were intentional. Smith indicated that Lowe made hand gestures from his vehicle that suggested he wanted Smith to drive faster.

"That was no accident. That was on purpose," Smith told investigators. "I know it was intentional. He came into my lane twice."

Smith said Lowe sideswiped him, but there was no evidence that the two vehicles made contact with each other, the report said.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Driver who cut off car prior to fatal wreck faces manslaughter charge