Daytona Beach, FL - Was it a shooting? An accident? Both?
Those are some of the questions the Daytona Beach Police Department wants to answer as investigators continue to dig into the deaths of two people along North Tomoka Farms Road around 24 hours ago.
DBPD has since identified the victims as 46-year-old Latonia E. Williams and 42-year-old Yancey D. Axon, both from Daytona Beach. The autopsies are scheduled for sometime today.
Deputy Chief Jakari Young tells us initial reports mentioned a possible shooting after a driver heading northbound on Tomoka Farms spotted a wrecked 2010 blue-silver Lincoln MKZ in a wooded area near the Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses soon after sunrise yesterday (April 10th).
"That part is now in question," Young told reporters at the scene. "We won't know for certain until after the autopsy."
Investigators shut down Tomoka Farms between Dunn Avenue and International Speedway Boulevard while processing the scene for evidence.
Also in question is when the accident actually happened or if other vehicles were involved. DBPD says it looks like a single-vehicle crash and that the Lincoln had been in place for around two to four hours based on accumulated dew by the time it was discovered around 7:20 a.m.
While speaking to reporters, Young mentioned that it would have been very difficult for anyone to have spotted the vehicle in the woodline before the sun came up.
The victims' bodies had signs of severe trauma and were partially ejected from the vehicle when found, according to DBPD. Officials believe neither one was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
Detectives think Williams - whose name was registered to that Lincoln - was behind the wheel and speeding north on Tomoka Farms when it veered into the uneven shoulder, causing it to launch in the air and roll over several times into trees before eventually coming to rest upright. Axon was a passenger inside, per DBPD.
Investigators are also looking into suspected bullet holes found in the vehicle. Neither victim had gunshot wounds and no other firearms, shell casings, or projectiles were recovered at the scene, per DBPD.
