Kathie Sciullo
CNI Newspapers
New details are available about a fatal Mother’s Day crash involving a sheriff’s deputy who was traveling nearly 90 mph.
The 47-page Florida Highway Patrol traffic homicide investigation was obtained by the Nassau County Record via repeated public record requests that were fulfilled upon two additional email requests a week after the Record visited the FHP in person Jan. 31 to deliver a notarized affidavit and $35 payment.
The investigation shows that Nassau County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Cole Van Tassell was approaching the intersection of State Road 200 and Daydream Avenue in Yulee just before 1:30 p.m. May 14. The NCSO SUV’s siren and emergency lights were not active when it collided with a 2020 Hyundai Elantra driven by Tyler Andrew Thornton, 31, of Yulee, according to the FHP investigation.
Thornton, who was wearing a seatbelt, died in the crash. His autopsy revealed he had fentanyl in his system when he died.
Based on calculations determining speed and distance, perception and reaction distance, if Van Tassell had driven the 45 mph speed limit as Thornton began making a left turn onto Daydream Avenue, “Deputy Van Tassell would be able to brake and avoid this collision,” the FHP document notes.
The State Attorney’s Office sent the FHP correspondence signed Dec. 1, stating the state attorney does not intend to pursue a case against Van Tassell and the homicide investigation could be released as public record.
According to the case closing, Van Tassell violated Florida State Statutes concerning “windshields; requirements; restrictions; side windows; restrictions on sunscreening material; failure to use due care; and safety belt usage.”
Thornton violated state statute for driving under the influence.
Charges for Van Tassell were listed as pertaining to “windshields; requirements; restrictions; failure to use due care; and safety belt usage.”
NCSO Director of Public Affairs Ashley Spicer emailed that Van Tassell could face civil charges.
“FHP has completed their investigation into the tragic fatal crash and no criminal charges resulted,” she emailed. “However, FHP charged Deputy Van Tassell with civil traffic infractions. Once Deputy Van Tassell’s traffic charges have been adjudicated through the court system, an internal investigation will be conducted by NCSO to determine any policy violations which occurred and that finding will determine what punishment is warranted.”
Van Tassell, who was 27 years old at the time of the accident, was responding to a call for a Spanish-speaking translator to assist a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officer. He had just left the 7-Eleven store at the southeast corner of S.R. 200 and Amelia Concourse and turned west onto S.R. 200, continuing westbound leading up to the area of the collision, according to the FHP case information.
The deputy’s race, gender, height, weight, date of birth and driver’s license number were redacted from the report.
Thornton was driving from a friend’s house in the River Glen neighborhood, located west of Interstate 95 off S.R. 200.
He had dropped off his dog with his friend and was traveling to his apartment on Daydream Avenue, according to the FHP.
Van Tassell declined a sworn-recorded interview. The vehicle’s dash camera and the deputy’s body-worn camera were submitted to the FHP by the NCSO.
According the dashcam video, at 1:21:47 p.m., as Van Tassell traveled west on S.R. 200 approaching Wildlight Avenue, the vehicle’s speed was 89 miles per hour. The SUV’s emergency lights and siren were not activated.
The deputy continued through the intersection, dropping to 87 mph, still without the lights or siren.
At 1:22:10 p.m., Thornton entered the westbound lanes of S.R. 200 to turn onto Daydream Avenue.
Two-tenths of a second later, Van Tassell began to press the brake and veer the SUV to the right to avoid Thornton’s car. The SUV’s dashcam displayed a vehicle speed of 87 miles per hour, still without lights or siren.
One-tenth of a second later, the SUV’s front end struck the right side of Thornton’s car in the outside travel lane. The posted speed limit is 45 mph.
Meanwhile, Thornton accelerated his vehicle to avoid the oncoming SUV. At impact, the SUV was “traveling at 41-65 mph” and the sedan was “traveling 20 to 28 mph,” according to the FHP analysis.
At 1:22:22 p.m. the SUV rolls over and comes to a final rest northbound in the grassy shoulder on its left side, with the vehicle’s speed displayed as 2 miles per hour. Van Tassell’s body camera is no longer attached to his body, but an audio recording indicates that he was trying to deflate an airbag while asking two law enforcement officers to help him exit the SUV, according to a synopsis of the body-worn camera footage.
Van Tassell voluntarily underwent a toxicology analysis. He was not impaired by drugs or alcohol. He also was not wearing a seatbelt.
Thornton’s toxicology results from his May 15 autopsy showed that he was drug-impaired. He was presumed positive for caffeine and cotinine. “Xylazine 430 ng/mL; Hydroxizine 32 ng/mL; Fentanyl 260 ng/mL; Norfentanyl 40 ng/mL and 4-ANNP 21 ng/mL” were also found in his system, according to the FHP report.
Independent witnesses were interviewed and provided verbal accounts of what they saw. Surveillance camera videos from 7-Eleven, Bug Out and Laundry Zone were also submitted.