ENGLEWOOD FLORIDA – The Florida Highway Patrol has completed an exhaustive criminal investigation into the September 12, 2022, fatal traffic crash on State Road 776 and Artists Avenue. The crash resulted in the untimely deaths of a 73-year-old woman from Englewood Florida, and two passengers a 68-year-old woman from Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and a 68-year-old woman from Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Troopers determined that leading up to the tragedy, the at-fault driver, Cash Kaufmann, age 25, of Sarasota, was driving a 2018 Hyundai SUV at a high rate of speed, with a blood alcohol concentration level of .096, and also tested positive for THC.

On March 23, 2023, The Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Unit placed Kaufmann under arrest for vehicular homicide, 3 counts of DUI Manslaughter, and DUI destruction of property, and booked him into the Sarasota County Jail.

The accident began as a Sport Utility Vehicle driven by a 25-year-old-man from Englewood, Florida traveling south on Indiana Avenue, on the outside lane, north of Artists Avenue. A second vehicle, a Sport Utility Vehicle, driven by a 73-year-old female from Englewood, Florida, and two passengers a 68 year-old-female from Thief River Falls, Minnesota and a 68 year-old-female from Grand Forks, North Dakota were stopped at a stop sign in Artists Avenue west of Indiana Avenue.

The second Sport Utility Vehicle entered the intersection in front of the SUV driven by Cash Kaufmann. The front of Cash Kaufmann’s SUV collided with the side of the second SUV.

As a result of the collision, the second SUV overturned on its right side and came to rest on Indiana Avenue. Cash Kaufmann’s SUV also came to rest on Indiana Avenue.

The driver of the SUV Cash Kaufmann hit was pronounced dead on the scene and one of the passengers was also pronounced deceased. The other passenger was transported to an area hospital and later died on 9/16/22.