A body was discovered near a construction zone on the northbound Interstate 95 off-ramp at 45th Street in Palm Beach County, prompting a swarm of law enforcement vehicles and a lane closure that snarled traffic through the area. The cause of death has not been determined, and the discovery remains under active investigation.
The scene is located at Exit 74 for 45th Street, according to Florida 511, and was reported by CBS12. West Palm Beach police officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers both responded to the northbound off-ramp, and the right lanes were blocked as crews worked the scene, per traffic officials cited in that report. Traffic cones now line the area, and the station notes that drivers should expect delays.
Why Both Police and Troopers Showed Up
West Palm Beach officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers both responded to the northbound off-ramp.
Because the cause of death is not yet known, the identity of the person and the circumstances of the death remain unclear.
A Busy Freight Corridor Undergoing Major Construction
The off-ramp sits inside an active construction zone tied to a long-term Florida Department of Transportation project. FDOT District 4 is widening exit ramps at the State Road 9/I-95 interchange at 45th Street and converting the intersection into a diverging diamond interchange, part of a broader modernization effort for the corridor. The 45th Street interchange is part of that modernization effort.
That volume of traffic, combined with an active work zone, is why Florida's Move Over Law carries particular weight here. Under Florida Statute § 316.126, expanded effective January 1, 2025, drivers on multi-lane highways must move over one lane for any stopped emergency, construction, utility, or disabled vehicle displaying warning lights, or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit, per the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motorists who ignore the law face fines, fees, and points on their licenses. WPEC's report reflects that same guidance, urging drivers to slow down and move over for road rangers and emergency crews working the scene.
Not the First Body Found Along Palm Beach County Highways This Year
This is not an isolated case for the region. In April, Florida Highway Patrol troopers opened a death investigation after a woman's body was found along I-95 in Lake Worth Beach, in a case where troopers believed the victim had been struck by multiple passing vehicles. That same month, West Palm Beach police responded to a shooting that caused minor injuries near the 4300 block of 45th Street, just west of I-95, inside a business during the middle of the day.
The 45th Street corridor has drawn scrutiny before. In July, West Palm Beach police arrested a 65-year-old resident on a felony charge of disturbing a dead body after investigators found that a deceased individual had been relocated to a municipal trash bin before officers arrived, a case Hoodline previously reported. And just days ago, Palm Beach County authorities opened another death probe after a woman's body was found near a Greenacres intersection.
A Growing Transit Hub Now Sits Beside the Scene
The stretch of 45th Street east of I-95 runs near the scene. The corridor's role as a major commercial and traffic artery was also underscored two weeks ago, when Palm Beach County deputies charged a man in connection with a machete attack on a 7-Eleven clerk nearby in Mangonia Park.
For now, the identity of the person found near the I-95 off-ramp has not been released, and the circumstances of the death remain unclear. WPEC has described the situation as a developing story, and traffic officials continue to advise drivers to expect delays and reduced lanes as investigators work the scene.
