PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A wrong-way crash in unincorporated Boca Raton on December 28, 2025, escalated into a violent encounter with deputies and led to a series of serious criminal charges against the driver, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say the crash happened around 6:59 p.m. at the intersection of SW 18th Street and Boca Rio Road, when Matthew Wade Pierce drove head-on into oncoming traffic. Multiple witnesses told deputies Pierce made an improper left turn and continued traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of SW 18th Street, striking another vehicle. The crash caused property damage but no life-threatening injuries
When deputies arrived, they reported clear signs of impairment. According to the affidavit, Pierce had thick, slurred and mumbled speech, bloodshot and glassy eyes, unsteady balance, and a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. Pierce admitted he had been drinking earlier in the evening…