The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested two men accused of street racing that led to the death of a 75-year-old man.

According to police, Milano Paolo Hlavina, 18, and Jeremy Olivo, 20, are the suspects involved in the deadly crash that occurred on January 10, 2025.

At around 3:03 p.m., a white Ford Mustang and a blue Honda Accord were seen by witnesses traveling southbound on Del Prado Boulevard from the intersection of NE Pine Island Road well above the posted speed limit. Police confirmed this after surveillance footage from the scene emerged.

“It was approximately 3 p.m. there was a heavy volume of traffic, and it was just very, very unsafe, reckless conditions that contributed to this crash,” said Mercedes Simonds, public affairs officer for the Cape Coral Police Department.

While the two vehicles were traveling on Del Prado Boulevard, 75-year-old William J. Garfell was driving his red Chevrolet Equinox northbound and attempting to make a left turn into a business plaza. 

The Mustang collided with the turning Equinox’s passenger side door, which caused the racing vehicle to spin and crash into another northbound vehicle before coming to a stop.

Witnesses reported the blue Honda Accord made a U-turn following the crash, slowed down as it passed the scene, and then fled the area. Police reported that another witness to the collision pursued the fleeing Accord and instructed it to stop, which it eventually did.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they transported Garfell to a nearby hospital as a trauma alert victim. He later succumbed to his injuries. 

An investigation was launched following the fatal crash, where police discovered that the white Ford Mustang was traveling 99.4 mph in a posted 45-mph zone with other traffic present. Witness testimonies and video footage were attained, which confirmed the blue Honda Accord was traveling alongside the Mustang, both exceeding 90 mph. 

“The blue car had left the scene at the time,” said a neighbor named Summer, who witnessed the aftermath. “When we pulled up, it was the red car with a bunch of people trying to save the guy’s life and pull them out.”

“A bunch of racing and nonsense, people wasting gas money, revving their engines up and racing each other,” said Bret Lewis, another Cape Coral resident. “It’s just the urgency and the eagerness of young kids trying to go, as if they’re going to get to the grave faster.”

On Monday, police gathered enough evidence to arrest and charge Hlavina and Olivo with vehicular homicide. 

Cape Coral police provided surveillance footage of the alleged two street racers on their Facebook account.

The family of William Garfall declined an interview but shared a statement through his wife.

“Thank you for respecting the privacy of our family as we continue to process the grief of the loss of a husband and father,” she said.

Nicholas Karsen is a Digital Specialist and has been with WINK News since May 2023.