Crystina A Atkinson Obituary, Death; – A man has been apprehended in relation to a collision that resulted in the death of a woman in March.
Michael A. Slaughter Jr., aged 32, from Port St. Lucie, was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Vero Beach Police Department. He faces charges of vehicular homicide, failing to stop and remain at the scene of a crash involving death, and driving with a suspended license, which resulted in death or serious injury.
According to a report from the Vero Beach Police Department, the incident occurred on the 3700 block of 43rd Avenue. Upon the arrival of first responders, a gray four-door Hyundai was found against a tree, alongside two broken wooden utility poles.
Indian River County Fire Rescue had to cut off the top of the vehicle to extricate a passenger from inside.
The passenger, who was later identified as Crystina A. Atkinson, was removed from the vehicle. Atkinson was pronounced dead at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital later that evening.
During the investigation conducted by law enforcement, it was determined that the vehicle had slid on the wet road for 118 feet before leaving the roadway and sliding onto the grass. It subsequently collided with a wooden electric utility pole on the passenger side of the vehicle before crashing into a tree.
Throughout their investigation, the police department identified Slaughter as a person with whom the victim had been in contact on the night of the crash.
On April 3, investigators conducted an interview with Slaughter at his mother’s residence, where he denied any involvement in the crash or being with the victim on the night of the incident.
Slaughter also agreed to provide a DNA sample to the police.
Police obtained information from a person in whom Slaughter had confided that he was with the victim the night of the crash as the victim had picked him up. The victim took Slaughter to a laundromat. At the laundromat, an argument occurred between Slaughter and his girlfriend.
After the argument, Slaughter then said he went up the road and met the victim again. At that point, he got into the driver’s side of the vehicle while the victim was in the passenger side. Slaughter allegedly confided that he was driving fast while it was raining when he lost control of the car.
Slaughter then said after the crash, he saw the victim lying towards him with her eyes open. After giving her a kiss, Slaughter said he left the scene of the crash. Slaughter then said he went to a nearby store, found a bicycle and rode to a home.
A test of DNA of the steering wheel airbag of the vehicle in the crash confirms that Slaughter’s DNA was located.
It was also determined during the investigation that the driver of the car was traveling 102 mph prior to the crash as the posted speed limit in the area of the crash is 45 mph. Slaughter is being held in the Indian River County Jail on $1.75 million bond.
