PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Two men died Sunday when the SUV in which they were traveling crashed into a Palm Beach County canal, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The crash occurred Sunday afternoon in a canal near the intersection of Hamlin Boulevard and 130th Trail North.
Colton Gearhart, 21, of West Palm Beach, was driving the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban when he lost control of the vehicle, which skidded off the dirt roadway and onto the grassy shoulder, traffic homicide investigator Scott Levey wrote in his report. It continued sliding over the embankment and into the canal.
Sebastian Gedroye, 21, of Loxahatchee, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
According to Levey's incident report, speed was a factor in the crash.
A passing driver noticed the SUV in the water and called 911.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue divers pulled both men from the water, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
Plea for Guardrails To Prevent Future Deaths
Alfredo Acabeo lives in this area and saw the law enforcement response to the crash.
He said he's familiar with how dangerous the turn at Hamlin Boulevard and 130th Trail North can be if you're not careful.
"It's like ice," Acabeo said. "You're gonna slide right off, especially right now with this drought that we're having. ... It's just dusty as hell."
WPTV spoke to the loved ones of both victims who said Gearhart and Gedroye were familiar with the area. They said the young men, both Seminole Ridge High School graduates, will be remembered for their love of fishing and the ocean.
Acabeo said there are no guardrails to be seen at the crash site, which may have saved the men's lives.
"[The deaths] shouldn't have had happened," he said. "Even if they lost control or something happened ... something malfunction, if the guardrail was there, it would've did its job."
While sending condolences to the grieving families in the wreck, Acabeo also had a message for drivers and county officials.
"Slow it down, and they need to put guard rails up around all these bodies of water out here. ... The canals are at least 12 to 15 feet deep," Acabeo said. "Even if a kid goes in there with a four-wheeler, he's not gonna have a chance. They need to do something about the guard rails, go around and see guard rails run everywhere except this one corner."
WPTV contacted county officials Monday afternoon about the absence of guardrails and the number of crashes into the canal in the area. NewsChannel 5 is still waiting for a response.
