A Boynton Beach man is headed to prison for more than two decades after a chaotic six-car pileup at a busy Lake Worth Beach intersection left a 69-year-old woman dead.
Raekwon Isaiah Johnson, 28, was sentenced Friday to 20.65 years in the Florida Department of Corrections for his role in the August 2024 crash at Lantana Road and Congress Avenue. The judge also revoked his driver’s license for life and ordered probation and rehabilitative conditions that will begin once he finishes his prison term.
Traffic stop turns deadly
Shortly before 10 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2024, an Atlantis police officer tried to pull over an SUV that ran a red light at Lantana Road and Congress Avenue, according to CBS12. Officers reported smelling marijuana coming from the vehicle, and Johnson later admitted he did not have a medical marijuana card, the station reported.
Investigators say Johnson sped off from the attempted stop, ran another red light while fleeing, and slammed into a Ford Escape driven by Sacha Rukin of Lake Worth Beach. Rukin was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center and later pronounced dead. The impact triggered a six-vehicle chain-reaction crash in the intersection.
What the judge ordered
On Friday, a judge handed Johnson a 20.65-year prison sentence and a long list of post-release requirements, WFLX reported. Court records show his driver’s license was revoked for life.
When he gets out, Johnson must serve 10 years of probation, complete 200 hours of community service, attend DUI school and a victim-impact panel, and pay fines and restitution. Prosecutors and the court described the package as a mix of punishment and mandatory rehabilitation tied to impaired-driving risks.
Guilty plea to multiple felonies
Johnson pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2026, to several felonies, including fleeing or attempting to elude causing death, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, according to CBS12.
Prosecutors said the evidence directly tied his decision to flee the attempted traffic stop to the deadly collision and the subsequent pileup. Police reports state that Johnson initially ran from the scene on foot and was found near the entrance to the South Florida Jewish Cemetery.
Shock at the scene and lingering concerns
Bystanders and family members described a chaotic and frightening scene as rescuers worked through the wreckage. One witness told WFLX, “I held onto the steering wheel, braced myself and closed my eyes while I waited for the impact.”
The sentence closes a nearly two-year case that local prosecutors have pointed to as a stark example of the dangers when drivers run from law enforcement. Family members, victims’ advocates and local officials say the outcome highlights ongoing worries over impaired driving and drivers fleeing police on Palm Beach County roads.
