COLD FRONT HEADING TOWARDS SOUTH FLORIDA. THAT’S COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. NEW TONIGHT, A SAINT LUCIE COUNTY FIREFIGHTER UNDER INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING A WEEKEND CRASH. VIDEO CAPTURED BOTH THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO IT AND THE AFTERMATH. REPORTER RACHEL PERRY WITH THE DETAILS TONIGHT, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE DAMAGE TO THIS HOME HERE ON SOUTHEAST LANE IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY. THE HOMEOWNER TELLING ME HER KIDS WERE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WALL WHEN THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THEIR HOME, AS SEEN ON VIDEO, A VEHICLE TURNS THE CORNER BEFORE A LOUD BOOM IS HEARD. AND EVEN MORE VIDEO CAPTURING THE AFTERMATH. THE WOMAN WHO LIVES HERE TELLS ME HER FAMILY WAS INSIDE WHEN THEY HEARD AND FELT THE CRASH. AND NOW, COURT RECORDS SHOW THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS DWIGHT TAYLOR. WPBF 25 NEWS HAS SINCE LEARNED TAYLOR IS A FIREFIGHTER WITH THE SAINT LUCIE COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT AND WAS OFF DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. I REACHED OUT TO THEM. IN AN EMAIL, A SPOKESPERSON WRITES YES, THE DISTRICT IS AWARE OF THIS INCIDENT. AS OF NOW, WE’VE RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEREFORE THE DISTRICT IS INITIATING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION. WE WITHHOLD ANY COMMENTS AS WE WILL WAIT UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION. TAYLOR WAS ISSUED A TRAFFIC CITATION FOR RECKLESS DRIVING. IT’S UNCLEAR HOW FAST HE WAS GOING, BUT THE SPEED LIMIT HERE
WATCH: Off-duty Florida firefighter accused of crashing into a home
Video shows both the moments before a vehicle slammed into a home and the aftermath of the crash. WPBF 25 News has since learned the driver is a firefighter and was off duty at the time.
Updated: 6:01 PM EDT Mar 12, 2026
Video shows the moments before a vehicle slams into a home, all while the homeowner says her children were on the other side of the wall.According to court records, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Dwight Taylor, was issued a criminal traffic citation for reckless driving after officials say he crashed into a home. The incident happened the night of March 8, 2026, on Southeast Abeto Lane in Port St. Lucie. The homeowner, Valerie Fowler, told WPBF 25 News that her three children were home when the crash happened. “Without the wall he hit at the front, he would have crashed through my living room, where my three kids were at the time, which is scary,” Fowler said. WPBF 25 News has since learned Taylor is a firefighter for the St. Lucie County Fire District. He was off duty at the time of the crash. In an email, a spokesperson for the SLCFD wrote: “Yes, the District is aware of this incident. As of now, we have received a complaint from a member of the community and therefore the District is initiating a formal investigation. We withhold any comments as we will wait until the conclusion of the investigation.”The citation issued to Taylor does not list the speed he was driving; the speed limit on the street where the crash happened is 25 miles per hour. Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Video shows the moments before a vehicle slams into a home, all while the homeowner says her children were on the other side of the wall.
According to court records, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Dwight Taylor, was issued a criminal traffic citation for reckless driving after officials say he crashed into a home.
The incident happened the night of March 8, 2026, on Southeast Abeto Lane in Port St. Lucie. The homeowner, Valerie Fowler, told WPBF 25 News that her three children were home when the crash happened.
“Without the wall he hit at the front, he would have crashed through my living room, where my three kids were at the time, which is scary,” Fowler said.
WPBF 25 News has since learned Taylor is a firefighter for the St. Lucie County Fire District. He was off duty at the time of the crash.
In an email, a spokesperson for the SLCFD wrote:
“Yes, the District is aware of this incident. As of now, we have received a complaint from a member of the community and therefore the District is initiating a formal investigation. We withhold any comments as we will wait until the conclusion of the investigation.”
The citation issued to Taylor does not list the speed he was driving; the speed limit on the street where the crash happened is 25 miles per hour.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.