A Deerfield Beach man is now facing a vehicular homicide charge after a crash that killed an electric-scooter rider in Boca Raton last summer, capping months of work by traffic homicide detectives.
Authorities say 35-year-old John Arthur Adams crossed the center turn lane on the night of July 16, 2025, and struck 28-year-old Alexander Daniel Acevedo, who was riding an electric scooter. Acevedo was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to WPBF 25 News, Adams was taken into custody Wednesday morning after a lengthy investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and has been formally charged. Deputies say the westbound SUV he was driving drifted into the eastbound lane on Sandalfoot Boulevard near North Branch Road and hit the scooter, violently ejecting the rider. The sheriff’s office said evidence indicated Adams had alcohol or drugs "on" at the time of the crash.
How Investigators Say The Crash Happened
Local reporting and the crash report put the collision at about 11:08 p.m. in the 10520 block of Sandalfoot Boulevard, in unincorporated West Boca. Investigators say the front passenger side of a 2024 Chevrolet Trax struck the scooter, sending both the machine and rider airborne.
Boca Daily News reviewed the accident report and reports that the scooter was shattered into several pieces. The SUV came to rest partly across the center turn lane and an eastbound through lane, a grim snapshot of what deputies later spent months reconstructing.
Family Pushes For Changes On Sandalfoot
Acevedo’s family and neighbors have been pressing Palm Beach County for traffic fixes on the stretch of Sandalfoot Boulevard where he died, saying speeding is routine through the Watergate Estates neighborhood.
WPTV reported that his mother, Kym Lugo, launched a petition after the July crash calling for speed bumps and better lighting. Residents told the station that similar requests to the county have previously been turned down, a point that has only added to their frustration since Acevedo’s death.
What A Vehicular Homicide Charge Means In Florida
Under Florida law, vehicular homicide is defined as a killing caused by operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm, and it is prosecuted as a felony offense. The statutory language and potential penalties are outlined in the Florida Statutes. An arrest is an allegation, and prosecutors will determine how the case moves forward in court.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says the case remained active for months while crash investigators reconstructed the scene before securing an arrest warrant. Local outlets report detectives served that warrant on Adams, leading to his custody. WPBF 25 News noted that investigators reviewed evidence over that span. Prosecutors had not released additional court filings publicly as of Wednesday.
This story will be updated as charging documents or a court docket become available.
