Arrest Made In High-Speed Boynton Beach Crash That Killed A Local Father

49-Year-Old Hit By High-Speed Driver, Killed. The Victim Was On His Way To Get Fuel For An Upcoming Road Trip to Disney. Driver Arrested After Being Accused Of Driving M 98 MPH Before Impact.

BOYNTON BEACH, FL – Boca Post (BocaPost.com) — Boynton Beach Police have arrested the man who they say is responsible for the deadly accident in Boyton Beach that we reported last month.

Boynton Beach Police tell Boca Post that they have arrested Paul Octavious Mc Cormack Jr, 30, of Lake Worth, for vehicular homicide for his actions leading to the high-speed crash that left one dead near BJs on Boynton Beach Boulevard in Boynton Beach.

Police say that according to data from the Airbag Control Module of Mc Cormack’s 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, he was traveling 98 MPH just seconds before the crash. A speed two times what he initially told officers on the scene. “Not much faster than the speed limit”, Mc Cormack told police. When asked for a specific number, Mc Cormack said “like 47” MPH. Mc Cormack stated he was traveling east and observed the van turning left into BJ’s. Mc Cormack stated, “but this light gets people all the time”.

Detectives later found out that the vehicle Mc Cormack was driving was actually traveling 98 MPH seconds before impact.

Paul Octavious Mc Cormack Jr was arrested following the completion of the traffic homicide investigation. Mc Cormack Jr is currently in PBSO custody after being charged with “782.071 (1)(a): Vehicular Homicide”. According to court records, Mc Cormack’s bond is set at $250,000.

Accident Report From Deadly Boynton Beach Crash

Boca Post has shared the entire narrative from the arrest affidavit submitted by Boynton Beach Police Department below.

“On Friday, May 13th, 2022 at approximately 0840hrs, I responded to W. SR-804(Boynton Beach Blvd) and Winchester Park Blvd, located In the City of Boynton Beach, County of Palm Beach, and within the State of Florida in reference to a three-vehicle crash resulting in the death of one of the drivers.”

“This was a three-vehicle crash occurring on Friday, May 13th, 2022, at approximately 8:02 am. It occurred at the intersection of Boynton Beach Blvd(SR-804) and Winchester Park Blvd in Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida.”

3 Vehicles Involved In Deadly Boynton Beach Crash

“Vehicle one (V-1) was a 2013 blue Chevrolet Malibu bearing FL Tag JRBM85 VIN 1G11E5SA0DU118520. The driver of V-1 was PAUL OCTAVIOUS MC CORMACK Jr (D-1), a Black Male, Date of Birth 07/07/1991.”

“Vehicle two (V-2) was a 2014 grey Toyota Sienna bearing FL Tag ZO90XD VIN STDYK3DC7ES449943. Thedriver ofV-2 was KEVIN DOUGLAS FAHNHOLZ (D-2), White male, Date of Birth 10/31/1972.”

“Vehicle three (V-3) was a 2004 black Toyota Corolla Matrix bearing FL Tag LYQT10 VIN 2T1KR32E04C195831. The driver of V3 was Black Male FRANTZOU DOMERCANT, Date of Birth 06/11/1978.”

Summary Of The Accident That Killed 1 In Boynton Beach

“A summary of the events that led up to the traffic crash on Friday, May 13th, 2022 that resulted in the death of KEVIN DOUGLAS FAHNHOLZ is as follows. FAHNHOLZ left his residence the morning of Friday, May 13th, 2022, and drove his wife to work. He left that area and traveled west on SR-804 to Winchester Park Blvd. According to FAHNHOLZ’s wife, he was traveling to BJ’s to get fuel as they were taking the children to Disney after work for the weekend.”

“The dashcam video provided shows FAHNHOLZ waited at the signal at Winchester Park Blvd and SR-804 for over 16 seconds waiting until he saw a clearing in the traffic. FAHNHOLZ observed a break in the traffic of over 709 feet and began to make his turn. Two and a half seconds into the turn FAHNHOLZ’s vehicle was struck by Mc Cormack’s vehicle traveling east on SR-804 at 95 mph. The data from the Airbag Control Module shows that Mc Cormack was traveling at 95 mph seconds prior to the crash reaching a speed of 98mphIn in the 5 seconds leading up to this crash. The damage on both Mc Cormack’s vehicle and Fahnholz’s vehicle is consistent with an excessively high-speed crash.”

“PAUL OCTAVIOUS MC CORMACK Jr left his home and was traveling to work. He took Hypoluxo Road to Lawrence Road and traveled south on Lawrence Road until he reached SR-804. Mc Cormack turned east onto SR-804 and then began to travel east on SR-804, The Airbag Control Module shows he reached speeds between 95 and 98 mph the equivalent of 143 fps the 5 seconds prior to impact. In 5 seconds Mc Cormack traveled 709 feet, over the length of 2 1/3 football fields. During the interview with Officer Rint, Mc never asked about the condition of any of the other drivers or showed any remorse for the crash. Mc Cormack initially advised stated he was traveling at 45 mph. Mc Cormackasked Officer Rini what would happen if he was driving at 50 or 55 mph, Officer Rini that at 60 mph speed would not be an issue. It was only then that Mc Cormack stated he was driving at 55mph.”

“Domercant was exiting the Parking lot of 1540 W. SR-804 after filling his gas tank at the BJ’s Wholesale. He was turning onto W. SR-804 when he was struck by the van that became airborne when struck by the Malibu. ”

KEVIN FAHNHOLZ waited at the intersection until he was able to tum into the BJ’s parking lot. He waited for a break in the traffic at which time he began to make his turn. Fahnholz could not judge the speed and distance and based on the excessive rate of speed Mc Cormack was traveling at. A crash with Mc Cormack’s vehicle was unavoidable based on the speed of Mc Cormack’s vehicle.

Fahnholz was declared deceased on scene by Boynton BeachFire Rescue at 0815hrs. Mc Cormack was treated by Boynton Beach Fire Rescue for minor injuries on the scene. Domercant was transported by Boynton Beach Fire Rescue to Bethesda Memorial Hospital where he was treated for injuries and released.

Traffic Shut Down After Deadly Boynton Beach Crash

“I arrived on scene at 0840hrs and observed all southbound traffic on Winchester Park Blvd was being rerouted west on SR-804. All traffic was shut down exiting the parking lot of 1540 W. SR-804. Eastbound traffic was turned around and sent west on SR-804 and all westbound traffic was rerouted north on Winchester Park Blvd. Boynton Beach Police were on the scene enforcing these traffic patterns.”

Initial Observations At Scene Of Deadly Boynton Beach Crash

“I observed a large area of crash debris starting from about 160 feet east of the intersection of SR-804 and Winchester Park Blvd and west of the intersection about 50 feet. On the southeast side of the intersection, there were plastic undercarriage parts, headlights, and other plastic vehicle parts. On the east side of the debris field was a plastic fluid container coming from one of the vehicles.”

“I observed a grey mini-van and a light blue vehicle both in the view from the northwest corner of the intersection. As I walked closer to the mini-van I observed a black vehicle off the roadway and in a culvert in the southeast corner of the intersection.”

Investigators Suspected High Speed A Factor

“As I walked closer to the grey van I was able to identify the van as a Toyota Sienna which was in the southeast comer of the intersection, I observed extensive crush damage to the passenger side of the Sienna. Most of the damage to his vehicle was on the passenger side of the vehicle between the front passenger door and the rear passenger door. The impact caused the vehicle to collapse placing the vehicle in a ‘V’ shape. An initial measurement of the damage showed approximately 36 inches of crush damage resulted from this crash which is one of the consistencies of a high-speed crash.”

“I then walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle. | observed through the front driver’s window a white male in the driver’s seat. Through the driver’s side front window I observed extensive damage to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The dashboard collapsed and it was difficult to determine where the driver’s compartment ended and the passenger compartment began. The middle row seat of the vehicle was pushed up against the driverside of the cabin. The vehicle was facing southwest with the front passenger tire on the sidewalk and the front driver’s side tire in the grassy area of the swale. The rear tires were on the roadway. All airbags were deployed. Fahnholz was pronounced deceased by Boynton Beach Fire Rescue at 0815 hours.”

Investigator Observes Damage To All Vehicles

“As I continued walking south through the scene I observed a black vehicle off the roadway (Toyota Corolla Matrix) in the southeast corner of the intersection. The vehicle was below the sidewalk in the culvert next to the sidewalk. The handrailing that protects pedestrians from falling off into the culvert was visible and next to the vehicle. This vehicle had visible damage to the front driver’s side, the hood, and the driver’s side quarter panel and door, windshield, and roof. When the vehicle was taken out of the culvert there was more damage to the passenger side of the vehicle.”

More Evidence Of A High-Speed Crash

“In the center and the right eastbound lanes of traffic on SR-804, I observed a light blue vehicle(Chevrolet Malibu). The Mailbu was facing southeast. The rear driver’s side tire of the vehicle was in the middle eastbound lane of traffic and the remaining part of the vehicle was in the outside(right) lane of traffic. This vehicle had extensive damage to the front bumper, hood, and front windshield. Both front quarter panels were crushed and the damage continued to the passenger side door. The front tire on the driver’s side was sheared off and under the axle. All airbags were deployed. This vehicle had damage to all sides of the vehicle. The damage on the Malibu is consistent with a vehicle involved in a high-speed crash.”

Determining Area Of Impact And Traffic Conditions

“I was able to determine the initial area of impact. This point was consistent with a vehicle traveling west on SR-804 making a left turn(south) into the parking lot of 1540 SR-804. The initial AOI was in the middle lane of traffic for the eastbound traffic of SR-804 and approximately 58 feet west of the east crosswalk.”

“The intersection of SR-804 and WinchesterPark Blvd is a four-way intersection. On the south side of this intersection 1540 W. SR-804, there is a BJ’s Wholesale Club with a BJ’s gas station and other stores. The north side of SR-804 has businesses on both northeast and northwest comers. SR-804 is lined with businesses including a United States Post Office. SR-804 is a heavily traveled roadway at all times of the day but especially during morning and afternoon hours.”

“On the south side of Winchester Park Blvd, the entrance to this parking lot has one inbound road. The exit has one lane for straight and right-turning traffic and one lane for left-only turning traffic. These lanes are separated by a positive raised median. The north side of this intersection has a positive raised median separating north and southbound traffic. The northbound side has two lanes designated for northbound traffic only. The southbound side has one lane for southbound traffic and both designated lanes for east and westbound turns.”

“SR-804 at this intersection is a six-lane roadway with designated left-turn lanes on both east and west-bound traffic. Westbound traffic has three westbound lanes of traffic and a designated left turn lane to turn south into the parking lot of 1540 SR-804(BJ’s Wholesale Parking Lot). Eastbound traffic has three eastbound lanes of traffic and a designated left turn lane to turn onto northbound Winchester Park Blvd.”

Using Technology To Preserve Crime Scene

After assessing the scene I then set up the two FARO Laser Scanners and began to digitally preserve the scene by taking multiple scans of the scene. I started by scanning all the vehicles involved and then began to scan the roadway from east to west. Once I was finished scanning the scene | began to take measurements from the original Area of Impact to where the vehicles came to their final rests. The results are as follows:

• AOI to Vi – Chevrolet Malibu – 102 feet
• AOI to V2 – Toyota Sienna – 82 Feet
• AOI to V3 – Toyota Corolla Matrix- 68 Feet
• AOI to Curb V2 – 61 Feet

Mc Cormack Initially Tells Police He Was Driving 47 MPH

“While on scene Officer Rini and Scott were told the driver of the Malibu went to the post office. Officer Scott walks to the post office to meet with the driver Scott observes a black male with a “beanie” walking to the accident scene. Scott asks “sir were you in that vehicle the Chevy, you alright? Mc Cormack acknowledges he was. Scott tells Mc Cormack that she needs him to stay on the scene so we can get his information. Mc Cormack tells Scott “I’m trying to make a phone call to my boys, I don’t understand why people drive like this. Look at my car, you see I’m trying to go to work”. Then Officer Rini and Officer Scott interviewed the driver of the Malibu, BM Mc CormackJ r, Paul Octavious DOB 07/07/1991. During the interview, Mc Cormackinitially stated he was coming from his home. According to Mc Cormack he traveled east on Hypoluxo Road to Lawrence Road where he traveled south until SR-804. At SR-804 he began to travel east. Officer Rini asked Mc Cormack about how fast was he traveling at which time he stated “ not much faster than the speed limit”. Officer Rini asked him to put a number to his speed, Mc Cormack stated ‘like 47’. Mc Cormack stated he was traveling east and observed the van turning left into BJ’s. Mc Cormack stated, ‘but this light gets people all the time’.”

“‘Came right in front of me I thought he was going to do a fast one or whatever in front of me like.’ Officer Rini asked what happened after the impact and Mc Cormackstates ‘After that I couldn’t see anymore because of the airbags.’ Officer Rini recaps the incident and asks ‘when the vehicle comes to final rest, what do you do from there?’ Mc Cormack states the following: ‘I get out. I notice I’m bleeding’. Officer Rini stated right arm, Mc Cormack states ‘Yep right arm, I also noticed I wasn’t hurt so the people actually somebody had to open my car door for me’, ‘somebody had to open my car door then I get out. I got out and looked for my phone, I check on the other drivers.'”

Mc Cormack Doesn’t Check On Other Drivers After Crash

“Officer Rini asked Mc Cormackif he checked on the other drivers, Mc Cormack stated one driver was out of his vehicle already and the other was still in his vehicle. When Office Rini asked if he did anything to help the other driver Mc Cormack stated there were other people helping him already.”

“At this time Officer Rini explained what the Airbag Control Module was and what information could be collected from it. Mc Cormack stated he would consent to have the Airbag Control Module read and sign the form. Mc Cormack then asked ‘what if I was doing 50 or 55’. Officer Rini stated that even at 60 speed was not a concern.”

Technology Tells A Different Story

“While on the scene we requested the assistance of Florida HighwayPatrolto assist in retrieving the data from the Airbag Control Module. FHP arrived on the scene at which time Ofc. Castro and Corporal Deleeuw went to Beck’s Towing and Recovery where they retrieved the EDR out of the vehicle and were able to download the associated data. The data are taken from the Malibu clearly indicated the Malibu was traveling 95mph 5 seconds prior to the crash and at the impact the Malibu and impact were still traveling at 95mph. According to the Airbag Control Module, the Malibu reached a high speed of 98mph slowing to 95mph at impact.”

Boynton Beach Police Notifies Victim’s Family

“At approximately 1230hrs, Officer Rini and I left the crash scene along with Officer Scott
and Palm Beach County’s Victim Advocate Carrie Gale. We went to <victim’s address> to make a notification to the victim’s wife. Upon arrival made contact with the victim’s step son waiting for his step-father. No one else was at home, we made contact via phone with the victim’s wife, who advised she was at work. We identified the place of employment and advised we would be on our way to the business. FAHNHOLZ’s sister arrived the scene and was able to transport the son for us. We met at FAHNHOLZ’s place of employment and advised her of the death of her husband.”

Witness Comes Forward And Provides Additional Evidence

“At 1710hrs I received an email from WM Jeffrey Hutchinson DOB 01/30/1976. Hutchinson stated his wife, Jackielou, was a witness to this crash. He also stated that they had and saved dash cam video of the entire crash. I later contacted Hutchinson and asked if email me a copy of the video. Hutchinson agreed at which time | provided him with my email address. Mr. Hutchinson attempted at 1000hrs to email me the video but it was too large to send via email so we agreed to meet the next day, Saturday, May 14th, 2022 at his residence.”

“On Saturday, 05/14/2022 at approximately 1010hrs, I met Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinsonattheir residence. Mr. Hutchinson provided the video. The video was both front and rear camera footage of the crashes that took place.”

“I spoke with O/F Hutchinson, Jackielou Velasquez DOB 12/19/1976, who told me she was the second vehicle behind the Toyota when they were at the traffic light. Hutchinson stated that Sienna was waiting to make a left turn. The Malibu came and struck the Sienna, she stated the Malibu was traveling much faster than the other vehicles. Hutchinson stated the lights for the westbound traffic were green but she thought the left arrow was red. Hutchinson stated after looking at the video she knows the blinking yellow.”

Dash Cam Video Continues To Tell A Story

“The left evidence shows the Sienna at the traffic light located at SR-804 and Winchester Park Blvd. The Sienna was westbound in the left turn lane. Video shows the Sienna waiting to make a left turn while traffic moves eastbound past the intersection. The video shows a silver van turn into then eastbound in the outer(right) lane of traffic approaching the intersection. As the eastbound van begins to turn when the sienna of 1540 W SR-804 the Sienna begins to tum left(south) into the Parking lot. Approximately 2.5 seconds into is completely in the middle lane of the intersection. At this point, the Sienna is stuck by the Malibu coming eastbound.”

“The impact is so intense the rear wheels of the Malibuare raised off the grounds all the wheels of the Sienna began to come off the ground. As the vehicles continue east the Malibu begins to rotate in a clockwise manner and the Sienna comes completely off the ground approximately 3 to 4 feet. As the Sienna begins to come back to the ground strikes the Corolla Matrix. The Corolla Matrix begins to rotate in a clockwise direction then strikes the curb and continues off the roadway. The Sienna rotates clockwise and faces west, In the rear of the Sienna strikes the driver’s side of the Malibu then rotates counterclockwise at which time the vehicles are no longer visible. You can still see the heavy flow of traffic traveling west on SR-804 and additional traffic coming east.”