Woman arrested more than a year after Fort Lauderdale detective killed in crash

Joselyn Lopez, 30, faces multiple charges in Aug. 20, 2016, crash

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida woman was arrested Thursday, more than a year after she was involved in a crash that killed a Fort Lauderdale police detective, authorities said.

Joselyn Lopez, 30, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, reckless driving and causing serious bodily injury.

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According to an arrest report, Lopez crashed her 2010 Dodge Challenger into Detective Christopher Sheehan's 1995 Jeep Wrangler Aug. 20, 2016, in the area of 4600 N. State Road 7 in Coral Springs.

The front of the Challenger ignited from the impact before coming to final rest, authorities said.

Sheehan, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, died at the scene, police said. He was a seven-year veteran of the department. 

His passenger, Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Capt. Jacob Snowhite, was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Lopez, of Margate, was not injured.

According to the arrest report, Lopez showed signs of impairment after the crash, including slurred speech and the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath.

Her blood-alcohol level more than two hours after the crash was .08 percent, which is Florida's legal limit, the report stated.

Police said it was determined that Lopez was driving 75 mph when she crashed her car into the Wrangler. 


About the Author

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

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