Police Chase of Stolen Truck on Florida Turnpike Kills Uninvolved Motorist

A stolen white Ford pickup equipped with a tracking device was PIT-stopped by Florida Highway Patrol on the southbound Florida Turnpike near Mile Marker 58 around Sunrise Boulevard, and the resulting crash killed an uninvolved motorist and injured two officers, authorities said. Broward Sheriff’s Office officials reported both a BSO deputy and a Coconut Creek police officer whose units were struck were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries not expected to be life-threatening.

The pursuit began as a stolen-vehicle investigation tied to a Fort Lauderdale theft, with initial calls placing the truck on NW 62 Street near I‑95, according to broadcast accounts. BSO deputies assisting Coconut Creek Police first made contact near Sample Road and the Turnpike shortly after 4:00 p.m. Authorities reported the stolen vehicle struck a marked BSO unit and then a marked Coconut Creek unit before the chase entered Turnpike southbound lanes and continued northward for more than 10 miles.

Accounts vary on the truck’s make and markings — some reports described a white Ford F‑250 while others described a white Ford F‑150 with orange stripes — but multiple outlets said the vehicle had a tracking device. Florida Highway Patrol troopers performed two PIT maneuvers to stop the pickup after concluding the driver posed an imminent threat of physical harm to the public and law enforcement officers, FHP told local media. After the maneuvers the pickup was found pinned against a concrete barrier with debris and twisted metal scattered across the roadway.

The collision involved a dark-colored sedan that was left crushed in the roadway; some outlets identified that sedan and its driver as a black Nissan Altima and named the deceased as 70-year-old Bonnie Bouffard. Coworker Tara Lee described Bouffard as “a great lady, a great friend, great lady,” saying coworkers were alarmed when Bouffard did not show up for work the day after the crash. Other reports noted authorities had not yet publicly released the identity of the deceased; investigators continue to reconcile that discrepancy.

The driver taken into custody was identified by multiple sources as 52‑year‑old Anna Giza, who was seen wearing a blue shirt at the scene and later wheeled into Broward Health Medical Center in a neck brace after transport by Tamarac Fire Rescue. Giza was treated at the hospital and then booked into custody; jail records and reporting show bond set at $3,510,500 and that she did not appear in court on Saturday.

Investigators allege Giza’s actions during the pursuit directly resulted in the fatal crash and jail records list an array of charges, including murder while engaged in a felony; aggravated battery and aggravated assault on law enforcement officers; aggravated fleeing with serious injury or death; grand theft auto; and resisting an officer without violence. Southbound Turnpike lanes from Sunrise Boulevard to I‑595 were closed for several hours, producing miles of backups before reopening; scene video and photos shared by local outlets showed the crushed sedan and the stolen pickup pinned against the concrete barrier.

The multi-agency investigation involving BSO, Coconut Creek Police and FHP remains active as prosecutors review the felony-murder and related counts tied to the Feb. 27 pursuit and crash.