BELLE GLADE, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — A 71-year-old man from South Bay died Wednesday afternoon after running a red light and crashing into a semi-truck on Southern Boulevard near Hatton Highway, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the crash happened around 12:33 p.m. when a 2013 Nissan Maxima driven by George Sandiford, 71, of South Bay, was heading east on State Road 80 (Southern Boulevard) approaching the intersection at Hatton Highway.
At the same time, a 2026 Freightliner Cascadia driven by Williamson Saint-Hillaire, 23, of Lantana, was turning left (westbound) onto Southern Boulevard under a green signal. Investigators say Sandiford’s Nissan failed to stop for a red light and struck the side of the Freightliner’s trailer.
The impact rotated the Nissan northbound as it became briefly attached to the trailer, investigators wrote in the crash report. Sandiford was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries. Saint-Hillaire was not hurt.
The Sheriff’s Office said alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the crash. No charges have been filed.
The crash marks Palm Beach County’s 84th traffic fatality of 2025, according to PBSO traffic logs. The Violent Crimes Division’s traffic homicide investigators responded to the scene.
Next of kin has been notified.
The eastbound lanes of Southern Boulevard were temporarily closed near Hatton Highway while investigators cleared the scene.
