PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was killed in a crash in Plantation had gotten out of the car moments before she saw it slam into a tree and burst into flames, a loved one said.
According to Plantation Police, Thursday morning’s crash claimed the lives of 3-year-old James Oizan-Chapon and the driver, identified as 26-year-old Ryan Yates.
A loved one said Yates was the boyfriend of the boy’s mother.
Investigators said the crash took place in the area of Northwest Third Street and University Drive, just north of Broward Boulevard.
Area resident Frances Velasco said she was asleep when she heard a loud noise.
“Around 3:40 a.m., I woke up to a crash sound, which sounded like a boom and a splash, and I didn’t really get up to look to see what it was until I heard a woman screaming,” she said.
Velasco looked out her window to see a car in flames and parts scattered across University Drive.
“I heard the woman screaming again, ‘My baby, my baby!'” she said.
A loved one said the boy’s mother got out of the car after some sort of disagreement, and that’s when Yates apparently took off with Oizan-Chapon still in the car.
“Like, everything just happened within a matter of two minutes, I believe. It was scary and shocking to see something like that and to hear something like that,” said Velasco. “I wasn’t ready to see something like that.”
Police shut down University Drive in both directions while they investigated. The mangled car was not towed away until nearly 15 hours later.
Oizan-Chapon’s father provided pictures of the boy and called him happy, fun, curious and loved.
“It’s very sad to have a situation happen the way it happened. It’s just horrible,” said area resident Alexander Sleem.
Investigators said speed may have been the cause of the fiery crash.
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