Lake Worth man dies 18 days after Jeep rams into tree, PBSO says

A 77-year-old suburban Lake Worth man died June 28 from injuries he suffered in a crash 18 days earlier, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.

Richard L. Preston was driving a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee south through a parking lot on the 6000 block of South Congress Avenue, just south of the Lantana airport, on June 10 when he hit the gas instead of the brake, according to a PBSO crash report. The Jeep jumped the curb and hit a palm tree.

Preston suffered leg and head injuries in the crash. He died June 28 at 6:45 a.m.

The report does not say where Preston died or how fast his Jeep was traveling when it struck the tree.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. Reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth man dies 18 days after Jeep rams into tree, PBSO says

Reporting by Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 12:46 PM.