Boynton Beach man sentenced to over 20 years for deadly DUI crash

A Boynton Beach man accused of causing a deadly six-car pileup while fleeing police was sentenced to over two decades in prison on Friday. On Friday, 28-year-old Raekwon Isaiah Johnson was sentenced to "20.65 years" in the Florida Department of Corrections after being convicted in January in connection with a fatal crash in Lake Worth Beach that killed a woman and injured another person. He was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude, causing death; leaving the scene of a crash involving death; DUI Manslaughter; vehicular homicide; and three counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The crash happened on August 7, 2024, around 10 p.m., when an officer with the Atlantis Police Department attempted a traffic stop after observing an SUV run a red light at Lantana Road and Congress Avenue in Lake Worth Beach. According to previous reports , when the officer approached the SUV driven by Johnson, they reported smelling marijuana coming from the vehicle. Officials say Johnson admitted he did not have a medical marijuana card. Authorities say that as the officer requested Johnson’s driver’s license, he put the SUV in drive and sped off southbound, running a red light and fatally striking a Ford Escape driven by a 69-year-old Sacha Rukin of Lake Worth Beach who was crossing through the intersection on a green light. See also: Chase through West Palm Beach ends inside hospital after traffic stop turns violent The impact reportedly triggered a chain reaction involving four additional vehicles, ultimately turning into a six-car pileup. Rukin was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators say Johnson later fled the scene on foot but was quickly located and arrested near the entrance of the South Florida Jewish Cemetery. In addition to his prison sentence, court records show Johnson’s driver’s license was revoked for life. Upon release, he will serve 10 years of probation and must complete 200 hours of community service, DUI school, and a victim impact panel. He was also ordered to pay court fees, a fine, and restitution.