Okaloosa County, Florida – Derek Joseph Markheim,33, of Crestview, Florida was arrested and charged for a fatal crash that occurred on December 5, 2022. Derek Joseph Markheim was charged with the following charges:
- 1 count DUI Manslaughter
- 1 count Vehicular Homicide
The charges stem from a crash that occurred on Monterrey Road and Stillwell Boulevard in Okaloosa County. The crash involved a single vehicle, a 2018 Audi, which was being driven by Markheim. The 2018 Audi was being driven at a high rate of speed as it entered a curve, causing the vehicle to travel onto the shoulder. While on the shoulder, the vehicle became airborne and struck a group of trees, splitting the vehicle in half.The 2018 Audi was also occupied by a passenger, who was pronounced deceased from injuries sustained in the crash. During the traffic homicide investigation, troopers on-scene observed that Markheim was exhibiting signs of impairment. Trooper William Kittrell conducted standard field sobriety on Markheim and relayed his observations to the traffic homicide investigator, Corporal James Durham. Corporal Durham applied for and received a warrant for a blood draw from Markheim, which was forwarded to FDLE for toxicology testing. The blood samples returned at .158 BAC. During the traffic homicide investigation, Corporal Durham calculated the speed of the 2018 Audi at over 111 miles per hour when it struck the tree and split in half.Derek Joseph Markheim was booked into Okaloosa County Jail on April 28, 2023 with no-bond. Bond will be assigned by a judge following first appearance.
Navarre Newspaper reminds are readers that Derek Joseph Markheim is presumed innocent and last found guilty in a court of law.
