Florida man stops to help crash victim. She allegedly steals his car, and her getaway ends in a gas station disaster

A Florida woman allegedly stole a car from someone who had stopped to help her after a crash, then drove it straight into a gas station convenience store. The bizarre chain of events unfolded in Deerfield Beach on October 23 and left several vehicles damaged, a store in disarray, and the woman facing multiple criminal charges.

According to Mandatory, authorities identified the suspect as 44-year-old Roszetta Benjamin. According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the trouble began around 2:47 p.m., when deputies responded to reports of a hit-and-run near Northeast 54th Street and Federal Highway.

Investigators say Benjamin was driving a stolen vehicle when she hit three cars near the intersection. Instead of stopping, she allegedly drove away, leaving the other motorists behind. Her escape did not last long. She was involved in another collision near North Federal Highway and Hillsboro Boulevard, where the impact left the vehicle too damaged to continue. The car came to a stop in the middle of the busy road.

She tried to take the car while the owner was still inside

Wade Anby Beau, who was working at a nearby Mobil gas station, later recalled hearing a loud crash outside. Seeing what appeared to be a serious accident, he and another bystander decided to check whether the driver needed help.

The second man was driving a black Mazda sedan. He made a U-turn and pulled closer to the wreck, apparently expecting to find someone who might be injured. Instead, the situation took a turn neither man had anticipated. According to reports, Benjamin tried to take the Mazda while its owner was still inside.

The two struggled over the vehicle as the driver tried to stop her from taking it. Benjamin eventually gained control, put the car in drive, and sped away. She did not get far.

Moments after taking the Mazda, Benjamin reportedly lost control and crashed into the front of the Mobil station’s convenience store. The impact shattered the glass storefront and sent the car into the shop, knocking over drink coolers and scattering glass and merchandise across the floor.

Footage from the scene showed the damage inside the store. Witnesses also captured Benjamin behaving erratically after the crash, including climbing onto the hood of the wrecked Mazda.

When Broward Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they surrounded the store and ordered her to get on the ground. She complied and was handcuffed inside the convenience store, according to video of the arrest.

She suffered minor injuries

Despite the string of collisions and the damage to the store, no deaths were reported. People involved in the initial hit-and-run suffered minor injuries, while a driver hurt in the second crash was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The damage could have been much worse. Gas station employees were reportedly relieved that no customers or pedestrians had been hit when the Mazda smashed through the storefront.

According to Broward County Sheriff’s Office custody records, Benjamin faces several charges, including kidnapping, carjacking without a firearm or weapon, grand theft auto, and two counts of reckless driving involving damage to people or property. A judge set her total bond at more than $104,000 as the case proceeds.