Suspect high on cocaine when troopers say he caused hit-and-run crash, carjacked driver with AR-15
By Scott Sutton , Victor Jorges
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — A Broward County man faces multiple charges after troopers said he was involved in a hit-and-run crash Sunday afternoon and carjacking another driver on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol arrest report, a two-vehicle crash occurred at about 4:42 p.m. on I-95 southbound near the Gateway Boulevard exit in Boynton Beach.
When a trooper arrived at the scene, he found a black Honda Accord on the shoulder of the road with heavy damage. Two occupants of the car, a man and woman, were sitting against the concrete traffic barrier wall and appeared to be in distress, according to the report.
The man and woman told troopers they were traveling in the inside center lane with a silver Ford Explorer in front of them. The FHP report said the Explorer made an improper lane change, causing the rear left portion of the Ford to collide with the front portion of the Accord. This caused the car to rotate 180 degrees and run off the road to the left. The Honda then collided with the center concrete traffic barrier, which caused the vehicle’s airbags to deploy.
After the wreck, the two occupants of the Honda told troopers that a man in the Ford Explorer, later identified as David Arturo Sanabria, 36, of Pompano Beach, opened his driver’s side door while still in traffic.
The FHP report said Sanabria then drove to the shoulder of the interstate where he left the vehicle in drive and pushed the front bumper into the concrete wall. The victims said the man then got out of the Explorer “with what appeared to be shotgun or an assault rifle.”
Sanabria is accused of pointing a gun at a man driving an older-model tan Chevrolet car, demanding a ride. Stating that he feared for his life, the carjacking victim, told investigators that he drove Sanabria to Broward Health North on Sample Road.
Deputies went to the hospital where the suspect was dropped off, but he was no longer there. However, a security guard said that Sanabria gave him a firearm as he walked into the emergency entrance of the hospital.
Troopers said they were later notified by Broward Sheriff’s dispatchers that deputies had Sanabria detained at the Heritage Circle Condo Associates, located at 4304 Northwest Ninth Avenue.
A deputy had left the hospital to look for Sanabria, later finding him in another vehicle with a female passenger just before 6:30 p.m.
After he was taken into custody, the arrest report said that Sanabria told them that he was high on cocaine when the crash occurred, and got out of the vehicle with a weapon he said was an AR-15.
Sanabria told investigators that when he arrived at Broward Health he told the man that he had carjacked and they “agreed to trade” his AR-15 for the driver’s handgun.
He said after arriving at the hospital he entered the medical facility and contacted the mother of his children who picked him up at the hospital and took him home. Sanabria admitted to investigators that he admitted to serving time in prison and knew he was not supposed to possess a firearm.
Sanabria faces charges of hit-and-run with injuries, one count of kidnapping, three counts of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of armed robbery.
He is being held at the main Palm Beach County jail without bond after appearing before a judge Monday morning.
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