A man and dog were killed in a violent, fiery crash early Wednesday in DeLand, just moments after a police officer was dragged while trying to stop him, authorities said.

  • SUV driver, dog dies in fiery crash in DeLand
  • Police say driver had been following girlfriend in taxi
  • Officer pulled over SUV, hand was trapped in door
  • SUV driver dragged officer, fled, investigators say

DeLand Police said Justin L. Johnson, 26, of Lake Helen was the driver who died in the crash that left a white SUV a mangled shell and scattered debris all over the roadway.

It all started just before 3 a.m. Wednesday, when a taxi driver called police to say he had a female passenger in his car and they were being followed by her boyfriend, investigators said.

The taxi driver was taking the woman to Florida Hospital in DeLand and told police that some type of a "disturbance" took place between her and the boyfriend.

Officer Tony Tagle intersected the boyfriend's white Chevrolet SUV near Plymouth and Orange avenues and stopped him.

Tagle noticed drugs in plain view in the SUV, police said. When he asked the driver to get out of the vehicle, he slammed the door on the officer's hand, trapping him, police stated.

The driver took off, dragging the officer several feet before he broke free.

Minutes later, another DeLand officer came upon a fiery crash on the 100 block of South Stone Street, where a driver and dog had died. An SUV had struck a tree and flipped, ending up twisted and wrecked in the middle of the roadway.

Police determined it was the same SUV that was allegedly following the taxi and dragged Tagle.

A woman who lives right behind the crash said she's thankful the vehicle didn't go into their house while they were sleeping.

“We’re very thankful nobody was hurt or injured," Michelle Nemoto said. "The dogs were all inside the house, so everybody was safe. But our main concern is that a young man lost his life today, and of course the dog too — that’s always sad.”

Tagle was taken to a hospital for treatment on his hand and was released.

Girlfriend: Minor dispute led to incident, crash

Kelli Rushworth says when her boyfriend Justin Johnson, and their dog Caesar, were both killed in the crash, she lost everything.

“I pray to God that nobody else has to go through this,” said Rushworth. “That was my family, that was my everything, and I can’t sit here and tell you I’m going to be OK.”

Rushworth says she wants people to know about what happened in the moments before the crash happened.  She says she had taken a taxi to the hospital with her four-year-old son to get him treatment for his ear. 

That taxi driver called police saying a man –- later identified as the crash victim -- was chasing his cab and yelling at his girlfriend.

Rushworth says a dispute between her and Johnson started over something fairly minor.

“He had left and didn’t say bye, and if I want you to say bye, like in case for example like this happens," Rushworth said. "And I was irritated about it and I guess he thought I was more mad about it then I was.”

Johnson’s older sisters admit their brother had gotten into trouble in the past, but they say they’ll miss their baby brother because he was always there for them.

“He was a good person, he would help you,” said Diane Langhorne, Johnson’s older sister. “He was over six feet tall, and if you called him, he’d come over.”

“This man has taken care of that little boy, and I still haven’t told my son and I don’t know how I’m going to tell my son that daddy’s not coming home,” said Rushworth.

DeLand Police say there is no dash cam or body cam footage of the incidents that led up Johnson’s fatal crash.