FORT WALTON BEACH — No one will be cited for causing a four-vehicle crash in front of Choctawhatchee High School on April 8 that snarled traffic and sent one driver to the hospital.
Fort Walton Beach Police Sgt. Tom Matz said conflicting witness statements complicated the investigation.
“There was no way to determine who was at fault,” said Matz, who added that the investigation is closed unless other witnesses come forward.
Damage at the accident scene did not conclusively point to a specific driver being at fault.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, officers said one of the drivers, Karen Benzenhafer of Niceville, was speeding and likely would be cited or face a possible criminal charge.
Benzenhafer had to be extricated from her vehicle, which overturned on Racetrack Road in front of the school.
A diagram of the wreck included in the accident report shows another vehicle cutting off Benzenhafer, which she says forced her car onto the sidewalk. It overturned when it veered back onto the street.
Matz said the two witnesses’ stories contradicted each other.