Police Pursuit That Led to Fatal Crash Cleared of Policy Violations

The Titusville Police Department (TPD) has concluded that its officers followed department policy during a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fatal crash on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The deceased driver was identified as Darrius Bentley, 35, of Mims, Florida. 2022 BCSO Booking Photo The incident began at approximately 8:08 p.m. when an officer attempted a traffic stop. The initial stop was for Bentley's vehicle traveling at unlawful speeds and failing to maintain a lane on Deleon Avenue near Sycamore Street. Bentley died from injuries sustained after crashing his vehicle into a palm tree, fence, and sign on Barna Avenue near Nicklaus Drive at approximately 8:11 p.m. According to a news release from Commander Tyler Wright, Bentley appeared to comply initially: he slowed down several times, showed indicators he was pulling over, and eventually stopped his vehicle on Cora Avenue. However, when the officer exited the patrol car, Bentley reversed his vehicle and crashed into the front of the police vehicle. Bentley then drove off, disobeying the emergency lights and sirens. Titusville Police deployed two separate sets of stop sticks on Bentley’s vehicle, which successfully deflated the tires. Despite this, the preliminary investigation found that Bentley chose to accelerate, resulting in him losing control of his vehicle and crashing. The Titusville Police Department's administration conducted an internal pursuit review and determined that there were no policy violations by the officers involved. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) was requested to investigate the vehicle crash itself, as police were attempting to stop the vehicle prior to the crash. FHP's investigation into the crash portion of the incident is still underway.