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Deland Car Accident Kills 40-Year-Old Man

A Deland car accident involving a man fleeing from police results in the death of a 40-year-old man. The incident began at approximately 10:00 PM on Saturday evening, December 12, 2009 when police received a report that a truck was stolen from Advanced Pavers in New Smyrna Beach.

At approximately 11:30 PM that evening, Deland police spotted the stolen vehicle heading east on Beresford Avenue.  Police pursued the stolen white Ford F550, which pulled over onto New York Avenue. As DeLand Police Sgt. Michael Quinn approached the truck, the driver drove the vehicle towards Quinn in an effort to run him over.  Quinn suffered a minor injury as the truck’s passenger side mirror struck him in the arm.

According to reports, the truck then continued down S.R. 44 at a high rate of speed and eventually sideswiped a 1998 Nissan SUV driven by Dave Johnson, 40, of Deland. The Nissan spun out of control killing Johnson. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police then ascended on the stolen truck and had to break the window in order to pull the suspect, John Yovaish, 19, of New Smyrna Beach, out of the vehicle.  Police arrested Yovaish and charged him with aggravated battery on a law-enforcement officer, grand theft, fleeing and attempting to elude police and driving with a suspended driver’s license.

The DeLand accident is still under investigation by local authorities.

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