Man dies in collision with sheriff’s deputy

Deerfield Beach man has died in a two-car collision involving a Broward sheriff’s deputy in Deerfield Beach.

The dead man’s relatives are disputing authorities’ account of what happened. They say a Broward sheriff ’s SUV rear-ended Leonardo Littlejohn’s Hyundai Azera, causing it to veer off the road, crash into a fence and roll over, trapping him inside.

But according to the Broward sheriff’s preliminary investigation, Littlejohn ran a stop sign while speeding northbound on Northeast Third Avenue before clipping the front of Deputy Gordon Black’s marked Ford Explorer at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The deputy was traveling west on Northeast 44th Street and responding to a call with emergency lights flashing. As he prepared to turn north onto Third Avenue, Littlejohn’s northbound Azera struck the driver’s side front corner of the deputy’s Explorer, ripping off the front bumper and steel supports.

The impact caused the Azera to spin out of control and hit four small palm trees and a wooden fence before rolling over on its roof in front of Marcelo Sampeio’s home.

“We were in the backyard when we heard all the noise, and when we came outside, we saw all the police cars and the fire departA ment,” he said. “There was a car upside down, the guy was inside [and] we tried to pull the guy out but they told us to get away.”

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue freed Littlejohn, 29, from the wreckage and took him a few blocks south of the crash scene to Broward Health North, where he died, officials said. The deputy was treated and released from the hospital.

Anyone with information may call Detective Anthony Morales at 954-321-4840. Anonymous tips may be provided to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.