DEERFIELD BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Drivers on the I-95 corridor through northern Broward and the Boca Raton area hit major disruption late Friday morning after a law-enforcement pursuit ended with a crash investigation and a full closure of the southbound lanes at Atlantic Boulevard.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were working what the agency described as a developing incident involving a vehicle crash on Interstate 95 southbound north of Atlantic Boulevard. The impact for motorists is immediate and significant: I-95 southbound at Atlantic Boulevard was shut down until further notice, and drivers were told to take alternate routes.
The incident began around 11 a.m. on Friday, January 23, when deputies responded to a reported theft at a business near the 300 block of West Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach. Investigators said that while deputies were on scene, the suspect battered a deputy and then fled in a vehicle.
A pursuit followed. Investigators said the chase ended on I-95 southbound just north of Atlantic Boulevard, a key interchange for traffic moving between Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, and the broader South Florida commute routes. The suspect was taken into custody at the end of the pursuit and transported to an area hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening.
By early afternoon, the Public Information Office said it was still gathering details.
For residents and drivers, the practical takeaway is simple: avoid the Atlantic Boulevard area if you can. Even if you are not headed directly into Deerfield Beach, the shutdown affects through-traffic and quickly backs up ramps and feeder roads. Local drivers typically divert to U.S. 1/Federal Highway, Dixie Highway, or Florida’s Turnpike depending on where they’re trying to go, but those routes can also get congested fast when I-95 is blocked.
The case also remains a criminal investigation on multiple fronts: a theft call, an alleged battery on a law enforcement deputy, and the events tied to the vehicle flight and pursuit that ended on the highway. As of the latest update from BSO, the suspect was in custody and the traffic shutdown remained in place.
What happens next is expected to come in follow-up details from investigators once the scene is cleared and the agency releases more information about the suspect, the reported theft, and what led to the crash response on I-95. In the meantime, motorists should plan for delays, monitor traffic conditions, and use alternate routes until the southbound lanes at Atlantic Boulevard reopen.
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