Boca Raton police said armed robbers fled the scene and caused a three-vehicle crash Monday morning, sending multiple people to the hospital.
Police said the robbery occurred to an individual in the parking lot of a building located at 980 North Federal Hwy. in Boca Raton.
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According to police, the alleged robbers then fled in a car west of Palmetto Park Road.
At one point Boca Raton police deployed stop sticks. It's unclear whether they worked.
The suspects' car, a 2005 Acura MDX, crashed into two other vehicles at W Palmetto Park Road and NW 12 Avenue. A report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office blames the crash on the Acura driving too fast and possibly running a red light.
It slammed into a 2016 Toyota Sienna and a 1996 Ford Ranger. The passengers in the Acura included Omar Khan of Fort Lauderdale and five minors from Pompano Beach, Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale.
Seven people were taken to Delray Medical Center.
Khan and the driver of the Acura suffered critical injuries. Four of the minors suffered serious injuries.
The driver of the 2016 Toyota Sienna is 48-year-old Ademir Dos Santos De Paula. He suffered critical injuries. The driver of the other vehicle struck is 68-year-old Dennis Kranz. He suffered minor injuries and has been discharged from the hospital.
Westbound Palmetto Park Road was closed for several hours. It reopened just before 3:30 p.m.
Boca Raton police are investigating the robbery, and PBSO is investigating the pursuit and crash.
Good morning. Stop sticks have an embedded device that cause a controlled deflation of tires to allow the driver to maintain control at a reduced speed until the vehicle is inoperable. @BocaPolice do not "blow out" tires. Two other vehicles were involved, not 7, to clarify. http://t.co/bAl2mMI3zF
— Boca Raton Police (@BocaPolice) July 24, 2018
Story updated to clarify the robbery happened in a parking lot.
