Former Riviera Beach officer sentenced to 18.5 years for deadly crash

A former Riviera Beach police officer was sentenced to a little over 18 years in prison after he was convicted of vehicular homicide in April. See also: Former PBC State Attorney Aronberg sues Palm Beach Post for defamation in Epstein coverage The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office said that on June 18, 2023, Carl Johnson was on duty and driving a marked patrol vehicle at 94 mph in a 35 mph zone without his emergency lights or siren activated. Prosecutors said Johnson crashed into another vehicle at a Riviera Beach intersection, killing a 43-year-old driver and his 29-year-old fiancée. Following the crash, the Riviera Beach Police Department issued a statement to the victims’ families, offering condolences. The CBS12 News I-Team also reported on a vigil held for the two victims. In a sentencing memorandum, the Assistant State Attorney Francine Edwards, Chief of the Traffic Homicide Unit wrote, "The Defendant’s actions are the sole reason for the death of the victims in this case. The Defendant’s reckless behavior when he was tasked with protecting the community fell so short of what was required that only a substantial sentence in the Department of Corrections would be just.”