COCONUT CREEK, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A civil negligence lawsuit has been filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court alleging that a police vehicle operated by a Coconut Creek Police Department officer helped set off a chain-reaction crash that injured passenger Joyann Levitt, according to the complaint.
The case, Joyann Levitt v. City of Coconut Creek and Donna Ann Vandyne, was filed January 30, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida, under Case No. 502026CA001203XXXAMB, court records show. The complaint was filed by the Law Offices of Adam J. Steinberg, P.A., of Fort Lauderdale, on behalf of Levitt. No defense law firms are listed in the filing.
The complaint says Levitt is deceased and states no estate has been opened and no personal representative has been appointed yet. It says the action was filed to preserve Levitt’s claims and reserves the right to amend the complaint to substitute the proper party once an authorized representative is identified. The filing also references an election of remedies between a survival claim and a wrongful death claim, and states survival damages are being sought, according to the complaint.
As described in the complaint, the crash occurred on or about February 1, 2024, and involved multiple vehicles. The filing identifies a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle owned and controlled by the City, driven by Officer Amanda Leigh Cummings, and a 2020 Jeep Latitude associated with defendant Donna Ann Vandyne. The complaint also describes Levitt as a seat-belted passenger in a 2021 Hyundai Sonata.
The complaint alleges that at the time of the collision, the Hyundai Sonata was traveling eastbound on Forest Hill Boulevard in stop-and-go traffic in Palm Beach County, Florida. It further alleges Officer Cummings was operating the police vehicle eastbound on Forest Hill Boulevard and was inattentive as she approached traffic, colliding with a vehicle directly in front of the police vehicle, which then collided with the vehicle in which Levitt was riding.
The filing describes the incident as a chain reaction: the police vehicle allegedly struck a vehicle ahead of it, and that vehicle then struck the rear of the Hyundai Sonata, according to the complaint. The complaint also states venue is proper in the 15th Judicial Circuit because the motor vehicle accident occurred in Broward County, Florida, as alleged in the venue section.
The lawsuit brings two negligence counts. In Count I, against the City of Coconut Creek, the complaint alleges the City, through its employee, breached a duty to operate or maintain control of the police vehicle in a reasonably safe manner and that the alleged negligent operation caused the collision and Levitt’s injuries. In Count II, against Donna Ann Vandyne, the complaint alleges Vandyne was inattentive and driving too closely, and that her negligence contributed to the collision, among other alleged negligent actions or inactions.
The complaint lists a range of alleged injuries and conditions, including thoracic spine compression fractures, cervical spine issues, and radiating pain, and alleges the injuries were permanent and would require future medical care. The filing also alleges damages including medical bills and non-economic losses such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, among other claimed damages.
In both counts, the complaint seeks damages in excess of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) plus interest and costs, and it includes a demand for a jury trial. As with all civil complaints, the allegations are claims by the plaintiff that have not been proven in court.
The original complaint, Joyann Levitt v. City of Coconut Creek and Donna Ann Vandyne, Case No. 502026CA001203XXXAMB, as filed January 30, 2026, with the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.
Learn more about how auto negligence lawsuits typically unfold in Florida.
