Trooper stops speeding driver, discovers warrant for years-old homicide
Four teenagers broke away from their classmates on a Tuesday in 2023 and went for a joyride on Interstate 95. With the speedometer nearing the 100 mph mark, investigators say they lost control of the car and careened into a man walking on the highway's shoulder, killing him.
The teenagers emptied out of the car and ran. According to state troopers, only 17-year-old Chris Espinal-Duron turned back to wait for police. He spoke to investigators without a parent or lawyer and admitted to hitting the man.
Florida Highway Patrol issued a warrant for his arrest on July 21, but his capture was incidental. A trooper in St. Lucie County pulled over Espinal-Duron on July 27 and planned to cite him for weaving through traffic at 110 mph. A search of his name, however, revealed the arrest warrant for vehicular homicide issued days earlier.
Traffic moves along at the intersection of Forest Hill Boulevard and Military Trail near West Palm Beach on April 23, 2026. The crossroad sits businesses, neighborhoods and Palm Beach International Airport, and it ranked second in crashes during 2024. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach remains one of Palm Beach County's most crash-prone roadways, even after efforts to widen it. Atlantic's intersection with Military Trail, seen here on April 30, 2026, led the 2024 list of most crashes in the southern part of the county. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)The intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Military Trail in Delray Beach, seen here on April 30, 2026, sees heavy volumes of vehicles throughout the day, helping to make it one of Palm Beach County's most crash-prone crossroads during 2024. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Traffic moves at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Military Trail in Delray Beach on April 30, 2026. Atlantic and Military, set between shopping plazas, neighborhoods and Delray Medical Center, was south county's most crash-prone intersection during 2024. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Motorists turn left onto Indiantown Road from Military Trail on April 13, 2026, in Jupiter. Indiantown has become the most congested street in Jupiter, and its intersection with Alternate A1A half a mile east was north county's most crash-prone intersection during 2024. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Motorists turn onto to Indiantown Road from Military Trail on April 13, 2026, in Jupiter. Military, stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter, is one of Palm Beach County's most congested streets. Several of the county's most crash-prone intersections lie along it. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)A man drives his scooter across Military Trail at Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail near West Palm Beach on April 13, 2026. The presence of slower-moving vehicles traveling through the intersection helps to make it the most crash-prone in Palm Beach County. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Cars whiz through the intersection at Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail near West Palm Beach on April 13, 2026. It was the most crash-prone crossroad in Palm Beach County during 2024 and has held one of the top spots for more than five years. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)A worker crosses Military Trail at Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail near West Palm Beach on April 13, 2026. The intersection sees flows of cars, pickups, buses and semis throughout the day, helping to make it the most crash-prone in Palm Beach County during 2024. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)A woman crosses Military Trail at Okeechobee Boulevard near West Palm Beach on April 13, 2026. The multilane crossroad sees heavy traffic throughout the day, making it a challenge for pedestrians. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)A bicyclist crosses Military Trail at Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail near West Palm Beach on April 13, 2026. The intersection led the county with the most crashes in 2024 and has been among the leaders for more than five years. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)Pedestrians wait to cross Military Trail at intersection with Forest Hill Boulevard near West Palm Beach on April 23, 2026. The intersection is a challenge for those using its crosswalks because of the heavy volume of cars, pickups, buses and trucks throughout the day. (GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST)
Troopers arrested Espinal-Duron, now 20, for the death of 56-year-old Michael Anthony Smith. Charged with one count of negligent manslaughter, he faces up to 15 years in prison. County Judge Marci Rex set his bail at $100,000 on Aug. 1 and ordered him to remain under house arrest, forbidden from driving, while his case proceeds.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, Espinal-Duron and his classmates at John I. Leonard High School were on a field trip to the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History in Wellington on Jan. 24, 2023.
Espinal-Duron and three friends, who are not named in the arrest report, decided to go for a drive in Espinal-Duron's Honda Civic before they were due back at the museum.
Witnesses later told investigators they saw the boys speeding south on I-95, weaving in and out of lanes without using their turn signals. One said the Honda appeared to be racing another speeding car.
A motorcycle burns on southbound I-95 just north of the Boynton Beach Boulevard overpass in Boynton Beach, Fla., on July 31, 2026. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue personnel extinguished the flames. Traffic backed up for miles behind the incident. (THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)A motorcycle burns on southbound I-95 just north of the Boynton Beach Boulevard overpass in Boynton Beach, Fla., on July 31, 2026. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue personnel extinguished the flames. Traffic backed up for miles behind the incident. (THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)A motorcycle burns on southbound I-95 just north of the Boynton Beach Boulevard overpass in Boynton Beach, Fla., on July 31, 2026. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue personnel extinguished the flames. Traffic backed up for miles behind the incident. Rescue personnel talk with a man covered in road rash near the motorcycle. (THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)A motorcycle burns on southbound I-95 just north of the Boynton Beach Boulevard overpass in Boynton Beach, Fla., on July 31, 2026. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue personnel extinguished the flames. Traffic backed up for miles behind the incident. Stopped motorists talk with a man covered in road rash near the motorcycle. (THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)A motorcycle burns on southbound I-95 just north of the Boynton Beach Boulevard overpass in Boynton Beach, Fla., on July 31, 2026. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue personnel extinguished the flames. Traffic backed up for miles behind the incident. (THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Troopers say that as Espinal-Duron approached Lantana Road, he tried to squeeze his car between a pickup and a Subaru. His car's right side clipped the Subaru, sending the Honda spinning out of control. It then veered off the road and struck Smith.
Espinal-Duron's arrest report doesn't indicate what Smith was doing on the side of the highway. Fire rescue personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trooper stops speeding driver, discovers warrant for years-old homicide