Man Killed in Fiery Martin County Pursuit Had 10+ Arrests, History of Assaulting His Mother

Walter Turner II was driving his mother's car at nearly 100 miles per hour — the wrong way — when he died in a fiery crash near Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The crash ended a 16-mile pursuit that began in Riviera Beach and left four people injured, including a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, the Martin County Sheriff's Office said.

Turner had been arrested at least 10 times since 2001, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek. Court records show he appeared in Palm Beach County Court on numerous occasions, including multiple charges of assaulting the same woman whose car he was driving when he died: his mother.

In one documented case, court records show Turner growled and charged at her, headbutted her, locked her in a room and seized her phone, forcing her to summon help through a medical alert device.

Turner's mother reported that her son had unraveled following the death of his father in 2025 and that she had sought to have him involuntarily committed for a mental health examination under Florida's Baker Act — a process that was never completed, according to Sheriff Budensiek.

"She says that he had been off his medication, acting extremely erratic," Budensiek said.

Investigators found a white powdery substance in Turner's pocket during examination at the medical examiner's office, officials said. Toxicology results are pending.

All four people injured in the crash are expected to recover. Surveillance footage captured multiple collisions during the pursuit, with mirrors struck or knocked from vehicles along the route, the sheriff said.

The Florida Highway Patrol has assumed control of the investigation. The cause of Turner's erratic behavior Sunday remains under review, Budensiek said.

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