Lake Worth Hit-and-Run Leads to Dramatic Police Chase, Fiery Crash

Last night while you were drinking too much because the forces of good lost to evil (NBA finals, Cavs versus Warriors, 2-2), Lake Worth was rocked with a dramatic series of events related to Mad Max-style road madness. 

Around 2:20 a.m., a woman and man were involved in a heated argument inside their car at 12th Avenue South and South Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. The woman passenger got out of the car, but as she was leaving the vehicle, she was clipped by an incoming driver, behind the wheel of a "older model white Expedition," according to a police release.

Instead of stopping, the driver took off. 

Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputies quickly located the Expedition. But the driver wouldn't pull over. A chase ensured. As the fleeing car was "attempting to negotiate a sweeping left curve and pass a vehicle that was ahead of it and moving at a slower speed," the Expedition "moved to the outside lane and struck a curb," according to a PBSO report. 

The Expedition sideswiped a tree, then did a head-on into another before bursting into flames. 

Deputies and fire crews put out the flames and dragged the driver to safety. The driver, 44-year-old Augustin Gonzalez, was taken to the hospital for treatment. The woman whom Gonzalez hit was also taken to the hospital. According to PBSO, she is expected to survive.

Gonzalez is looking at aggravated battery charges. Considering the series of roadway dramatics, it's a miracle everyone came out of this situation alive.