Volusia County

Boy, 5, hurt after car crashes into surf along Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Volusia County Beach Safety officials said several people were taken to the hospital Sunday after a man drove onto crowded Daytona Beach and into the ocean.

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The incident happened shortly before 5 p.m. at the International Speedway Boulevard beach approach off Highway A1A.

According to a written report, a lifeguard witnessed a white car crash into the ocean at a high rate of speed in front of his tower.

Beach Safety first responders reported significant damage to the vehicle but said all four occupants were able to free themselves from the Nissan Altima sedan.

The driver, identified as Christian Rivera-Rosado, 28, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was incoherent and didn’t recall events leading up to the crash, the report stated.

Officials told Eyewitness News that they believe some sort of medical episode, possibly a seizure, may have caused Rivera-Rosado to lose control before crashing.

Information outlined in the incident report detailed the Nissan’s driver traveling in the wrong direction along International Speedway Boulevard before plowing through and demolishing a toll booth at the beach approach.

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That toll booth was unoccupied at the time.

Hundreds of people were enjoying a day at the beach when the mayhem began.

JH Morgan described the sudden chaos.

“You just heard banging and we turned around ... that’s when he blew through the gate over there ... you see the car come through here and everybody’s running out of the way.”

Another beachgoer described the crash debris in the surf.

PHOTOS: Several people hurt, including child, after car crashes into ocean at Daytona Beach, lifeguards say

“It looked like a bumper had come off of the car and was in the water.”

As a precaution, four people in the car, including two children, were taken to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach to be checked out, according to Volusia County EMS.

A 5-year-old boy on the beach who was struck by the car was also taken to Halifax.

Officials last updated that the child was listed in stable condition.

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Rivera-Rosado was later cited with careless driving.

Stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this developing story.

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