A Mercedes driver who taunted a state trooper on Interstate 95 before slamming into a tow truck on a Cocoa offramp now faces murder charges for killing his three passengers.
The Brevard County Grand Jury indicted VERNON J. HODGES, 41, on 17 charges stemming from the high-speed crash that killed another man and two women in March. The crash also seriously injured a tow truck driver. The charges:
- Three counts of first-degree felony murder, a capital felony punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty
- Aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude, causing death
- Three counts of DUI manslaughter
- Three counts of vehicular homicide
- Three counts of driving without a driver license or while license suspended or revoked, causing death
- Driving with a suspended or revoked license, causing death
- Driving with a suspended or revoked license, causing serious injury
- DUI with serious bodily injury
- Driving under the influence and causing damage
The deadly incident started at about 8:30 a.m. on March 28 when the Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan driven northbound by HODGES passed a Florida Highway Patrol sergeant at an estimated 100 mph. HODGES, of Sebastian, made gestures and waved out the window at the trooper, who activated his flashing lights and siren.
HODGES turned down the exit ramp at State Road 520 and swerved onto the right shoulder to avoid cars, FHP investigators said. The Mercedes slammed into the back of a flatbed tow truck – shredding the car – and spun across the roadway. Tow truck driver John Youmara was under the rear axle of that truck, preparing it to be towed by him, and became trapped beneath the wreckage.
Killed on impact were:
- Alicia M. Carter, 31, of Melbourne,
- Eleasya J. Fulton, 24, of Palm Bay
- Leon Holmes, 41, of Vero Beach
Youmara was hospitalized with serious injuries and is recovering.
HODGES was hospitalized and later arrested at Holmes Regional Medical Center. Blood tests taken at the hospital showed he had a blood alcohol content of .147, above the legal limit.
HODGES had a history of previous traffic convictions and license revocations including for DUI, refusing to submit to breath or blood tests, and for being a habitual traffic offender.
