This week's cover story focuses on the increase in road rage in Florida.
As the population in Volusia and Flagler counties continues to explode, so does the number of cars on the road. Both our highways and city streets have become outlets for drivers to take out their frustrations on each other, sometimes with deadly consequences.
Frank Fernandez, crime and courts reporter for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, examined recent cases to get a broader look at the impact of road rage in our area and how you can protect yourself and your family.
Why did you decide to write this story? Why did you think it was important?
I've written several shorter stories about road rage incidents in Volusia and Flagler counties, including one in which someone was fatally shot and another in which a gunman threatened a father who was teaching his teenage daughter to drive. I've also written stories about two separate road rage shootings on Interstate 4 in which no one was arrested. I felt it was important to report on a growing problem that can affect anyone, whether they're driving or a passenger.
What was the most interesting fact you discovered while researching this story?
I found it interesting that it was increasing. Even though I had written some stories, I didn't know that this was a growing trend.
Have you ever been the victim of an incident of road rage or have you ever witnessed such an incident?
Just last month I was verbally abused and made obscene gestures by other drivers, but fortunately no one shot me or pointed a gun at me. I also witnessed some yelling and pushing, but again, no gunshots or other physical violence.
What is it like to report on crime in the Volusia-Flagler area?
A lot is going on. There is always something going on in the courts, at the sheriff's offices or at the police station. Some of the stories are bizarre and some are simply very tragic.
Did you always know you wanted to cover this beat?
It was always interesting to me, but it wasn't the only subject I wanted to cover. I've always been interested in aviation and also the environment. I've written some stories about aviation, but not much about the environment. I've covered local government in the past.
Courts and crime reporting isn't always all doom and gloom. What are some of the more optimistic stories you've covered throughout your career?
I've covered some adoptions that are really happy, positive events. I've also covered drug court graduations and DUI court graduations that also celebrated people changing their behavior for the better. And there are the occasional court story that involves a monkey. Like a story from a while back when a woman with a little emotional support monkey testified in Flagler County court in a case about a stolen Chihuahua.
How has your beat and the way you cover it changed over the years?
Like everything else in the world, this has become much more computerized. Instead of getting paper reports from the police or printed copies of complaint documents, we now get almost everything through the computer. Bodycam video has had a huge impact, especially in cases of police-involved shootings, as it gives the public a better idea of what happened. And video in general is so common today that there is often a video recording of what happened.
What story will you never forget?
The case of Luis Toledo. He killed his wife Yessenia Suarez and their two young children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, in Deltona in 2013. Toledo never said what he did with the bodies, and they were never found. Toledo was convicted and is serving three consecutive life sentences.
