A 19-year-old is facing a felony charge of motor vehicle manslaughter after officers say he was driving a Tesla at an “extremely high rate of speed” before the car collided with another vehicle at a South Florida intersection last week, killing two people and sending three others to the hospital.
There was a new twist on Wednesday: Two Broward officers were transferred to another location as an investigation was launched into their possible involvement in a high-speed chase involving the teenager prior to the fatal crash.
Gavin Dorvil, 19, faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. Although it is unclear whether Dorvil has been booked or is still in the Broward County Jail.
The accident happened Sunday at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Sixth Street in Broward, just outside Fort Lauderdale.
READ MORE: Teen drives Tesla ‘excessively’, causes crash that kills 2, injures 3: police
Just before 2:30 p.m., the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Dorvil was driving his 2023 Tesla Model 3 “at a high rate of speed” and struck a 2023 Dodge Durango that was crossing the intersection. The Durango then struck a 2024 Chevrolet Trax driven by Jasmyne Thomas, causing it to roll onto its roof.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue transported five people to Broward Health Medical Center — two people, identified as Lisa Jackson and Geraldine Francis, were pronounced dead. Jackson was driving the Durango and Francis was a passenger. A minor who was also in the Durango is in critical condition.
Dorvil was one of the victims taken to the hospital, where he was arrested Tuesday evening.
While investigators have so far determined that “excessive speed” was a factor in the crash, the sheriff’s office is also investigating whether its deputies were involved.
Internal Affairs is trying to determine whether officers were pursuing the Tesla before the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
On Wednesday evening, two representatives were placed on a limited administrative assignment.
