MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A man who died in a fiery crash near Jonathan Dickinson State Park after a 16-mile police chase had been arrested at least 10 times since 2001 and had a history of assaulting his mother, according to the Martin County sheriff.
Surveillance video captured police chasing Walter Turner II as he drove nearly 100 mph the wrong way in a car registered to his mother. The pursuit started in Riviera Beach and ended in a catastrophic crash that killed Turner at the scene and injured four others, including a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. Authorities said all four victims are expected to recover.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek detailed the extent of Turner’s criminal history.
“He’s been arrested multiple times, at least 10 times starting back in 2001,” Budensiek said.
Court records show Turner made numerous appearances in Palm Beach County Court. Budensiek said Turner faced accusations on multiple occasions of assaulting his mother. In one incident, court records state that he growled and charged at her, headbutted her, locked her inside a room, and took her phone. She ultimately used her medical alert device to call for help.
Budensiek also said Turner’s mother told investigators he had struggled since his father’s death in 2025. She reportedly tried to have him Baker Acted — an involuntary mental health evaluation — but it never happened.
“Mom had also reported that he had fallen apart since his father had died in 2025 or around that time and had tried to get him Baker acted, which did not take place. He did not get Baker acted, but she says that he had been off his medication, uh, acting extremely erratic,” Budensiek said.
Investigators discovered a white powdery substance in Turner’s pocket during an examination at the medical examiner’s office. Toxicology results remain pending.
The sheriff said investigators are still trying to determine what triggered Turner’s actions on Sunday.
“We don’t know the answers to some of the questions that even we have. We do know that this is a bad guy and the bad guy ended up being the one that died. And again, we’re thankful that it was just the bad guy that died and not our innocent civilians that were moving down the road,” Budensiek said.
The Florida Highway Patrol has now taken over the investigation.
WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman reviewed Turner’s criminal history, and court records reveal how often he moved in and out of Palm Beach County Court over the years.
The chase also led to several collisions, with the sheriff saying mirrors on multiple vehicles were struck or ripped off during the pursuit.
“It’s my understanding that there were quite a few crashes where mirrors were hit or knocked off of cars,” Budensiek said.
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