Visitor In Coma After "Suspicious Incident" In Ft. Lauderdale
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A visitor from Massachusetts is in a medically induced coma with a skull fracture after what Ft. Lauderdale police have called a "suspicious incident."
Daniel Flynn, 29, from Saugus, MA, came to town for a couple of days to meet up with a friend, according to his brother Kevin Turner. On Wednesday, March 5th, he checked into hotel and called his family. Flynn's friend told police they were supposed to get together on Thursday.
Turner said four hours later they received a call from the hospital saying that Flynn was there with head injuries.
Ft. Lauderdale police said a witness told them he was walking along North Atlantic Boulevard near Viramar Street around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday when he saw a man either pushed out of or jump from a moving vehicle.
The witness said he was so startled by what he saw that he forgot to get a description of the vehicle. He then ran to help the injured man, which turned out to be Flynn, as the vehicle sped southbound on North Atlantic Boulevard.
Flynn was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition with what were termed 'non-life threatening' injuries.
Flynn's family is rallying by his bedside. They wonder if robbery was the motive. "I think he was targeted," said his brother-in-law Kevin Turner, "possibly drugged and forced into a vechile where the assailants intended on using him to go to atms or God knows what."
Turner said what is also odd is that Flynn was not carrying his phone or keys and was not dressed to go out.
Due to Flynn's current condition and the lack of surveillance footage, police have asked for the public's help in identifying the vehicle and its driver. "Obviously people who are this violent, this wasn't a one time deal," figures Turners. They've either done it before or they're going to be doing it again. So it's a threat to the community. I just wnat to get the word out to as many people as possible and get them off the street."
Also, anyone who may have seen Flynn prior to this incident is asked to call Detective Justin Moody at (954) 828-4018.
