Hit-and-run suspect arrested after fatal Tamarac crash

by News Desk | Dec 12, 2025 · 10:28 am | Tamarac News

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026 · 5:05 pm

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TAMARAC, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — A man accused of hitting a pedestrian on State Road 7 in Tamarac and then driving off has been arrested after investigators tied him to a silver Toyota Camry seen in surveillance video, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.

BSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit arrested Demetrius Etienne, 23, of Lauderdale Lakes, in connection with a hit-and-run crash that happened late Saturday night, Nov. 22, 2025, near the 5000 block of North State Road 7, according to investigators.

Detectives said the crash occurred at about 11:56 p.m. Surveillance video shows the pedestrian, Shane Delinks, 51, crossing the southbound lanes of SR 7 mid-block, just north of Commercial Boulevard, investigators said. Etienne, driving south in the left through lane in a silver Toyota Camry, is accused of striking Delinks with the driver’s side of the front bumper in what investigators described as a “sideswipe type crash.”

Delinks fell to the pavement and remained in the roadway between the left and center through lanes, according to investigators. As he was lying in the roadway, detectives said an unknown black sedan then traveled over him and continued southbound. That driver has not been identified in the information released.

Other drivers noticed Delinks on the road and stopped, investigators said. The surveillance video also captured the Camry pulling into the parking lot of a nearby Shell gas station, where the driver got out.

Detectives said Etienne walked back toward where Delinks had come to rest, then stayed on the sidewalk along the west side of the roadway while people tried to help. The video then shows Etienne returning to the Toyota and leaving, continuing southbound on SR 7, investigators said.

Tamarac Fire Rescue responded and transported Delinks to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition, according to BSO. Days later, Delinks died from his injuries.

BSO said traffic homicide detectives were able to locate the vehicle and identify Etienne through investigative methods and with help from the agency’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC). He was transported to BSO’s Main Jail, investigators said.

Etienne faces several charges, including leaving the scene of an accident causing death and tampering with evidence, according to BSO. The agency said the investigation remains active.

For breaking updates on Boca Raton car accidents, check our public safety section daily.

 

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