Broward’s pursuit pattern: Three deadly crashes in 5 weeks. What to know
.jpg "The March 22 case adds to a list of deadly incidents connected to law enforcement pursuits in Broward County this year, with three people dead in just over a month.")
An 18-year-old man from North Miami is facing felony murder charges after a police chase through Broward County ended with a stolen van crashing into a canal, killing his passenger, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The March 22 crash marked the third pursuit-related death in Broward County in the past five weeks.
What happened
At around 7:25 p.m., a deputy spotted the driver, identified as Michael Malik Harvey, “driving recklessly” in a stolen white GMC van in the 4000 block of SW 33rd Avenue in West Park, BSO officials said in a news release.
After confirming the van was stolen from Miami-Dade County by checking the vehicle’s tag, a deputy attempted to pull Harvey over.
Harvey failed to stop and allegedly struck a marked patrol vehicle as he fled. The deputy did not pursue and remained at the scene.
A short time later, a Pembroke Park Police officer saw the van driving east on West Hallandale Beach Boulevard, just west of I-95. Harvey reached an area near Oakwood Plaza where he turned toward the marked police car, “forcing the officer to take evasive action to avoid being struck,” according to the news release.
“A multi-agency pursuit ensued based on the aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer,” the news release says.
The crash
The chase came to an end when Harvey drove into Yatch Haven Park & Marina, an RV park located at 2323 State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale. He rammed the van through a closed metal exit gate and into a canal, authorities said.
Deputies, along with the agency’s dive team and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, responded to the scene.
Harvey was pulled from the water and taken to a hospital with “non-life threatening injuries,” authorities said.
His female passenger was also removed from the canal and transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Charges and investigation
Harvey faces several charges, according to authorities. They include “felony murder, aggravated fleeing and eluding causing death, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a crash involving an occupied vehicle.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Court records show Harvey was booked into Broward County’s central courthouse. The capital homicide case was filed March 24.
In addition to the charges listed in BSO’s news release, a charge of driving with a suspended license was filed.
Third deadly pursuit in five weeks
The March 22 crash is the third reported deadly incident tied to pursuits in Broward County in the past five weeks.
Ronald Wilson, 74, died on Feb. 16 when a BSO deputy collided with his vehicle while pursuing a suspected car thief, according to investigators.
Ten days later, 74-year-old Bonnie Bouffard died in a crash on Florida’s Turnpike near Sunrise Boulevard during a pursuit involving the Florida Highway Patrol and BSO.
BSO’s pursuit policy
BSO policy allows deputies to initiate pursuits in certain situations, including when a suspect is believed to have committed a “forcible felony,” such as aggravated assault.
The agency’s guidelines note that pursuits require “greater degrees of caution, skill, common sense and sound judgment for emergency operations,” their handbook says.
In the March 22 incident, the multi-agency pursuit was initiated after Harvey allegedly turned his vehicle toward an officer, an act authorities characterized as aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.