ORLANDO, Fla. – A man arrested earlier this year in connection to the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car and the Orlando police pickup truck pursuing it now faces a charge of vehicular homicide, records show.
Dornell Bargnare, 30, faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash with death, vehicular homicide, driving without a valid license causing serious bodily injury or death and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, according to a Monday court filing.
The crash occurred around 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the intersection of Rio Grande Avenue and Indiana Street, troopers said.
According to an FHP crash report, Bargnare was driving south on Rio Grande Avenue in a blacked-out 2012 Nissan Altima — i.e., no headlights or taillights — running from an unmarked Orlando police Ford F-150 when he attempted to make a sharp left turn onto Indiana Street. The Nissan ran off the roadway, striking a pedestrian and a utility pole, the report states.
The pedestrian was also struck by a front tire of the Orlando police pickup when it traveled onto the south curbed shoulder of Indiana Street, according to FHP. The pedestrian was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, troopers said.
According to Bargnare’s arrest affidavit, he took off running through a residential neighborhood and was eventually spotted via helicopter jumping fences to get away from K-9s, soon breaking the back window of a property in the 1700 block of Grand Street and climbing inside.
Police contacted the property owners and confirmed they wanted to press charges, the affidavit states. Around 10 p.m., police used loudspeakers to direct Bargnare to comply, at which time he eventually surrendered through the front door, according to the document.
Bargnare was arrested to face charges of burglary and resisting an officer without violence, the latter of which has since been dropped, records show. He posted a $5,500 bond about a week later.
Neither Bargnare nor the officer driving the pickup truck were injured in the crash, troopers said. The officer was placed on paid leave, according to the police department.
[MORE: Pedestrian struck, killed by car being pursued by Orlando police; 1 arrested, officials say]
Attorney Ben Crump identified the pedestrian as 56-year-old Gerald Neal.
Ben Crump Law claims the police pursuit was initiated due to an unreadable license plate, adding witnesses of the crash reportedly told Neal’s family that they saw the police pickup truck run him over and stay on top of him as the officer took off running after Bargnare.
[MORE: Ben Crump calls for transparency after bystander fatally struck during Orlando police pursuit]
Crump told News 6’s Catherine Silver that “everybody will know” what happened during the crash if body-worn or dash-camera video could be released.
The Orlando Police Department said in a statement that while pickup truck did not have a dash camera, body-worn camera footage would be available once the investigation concludes.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is leading the investigation into this incident. We want to respect the integrity of this investigation while remaining sensitive to the needs of those affected. As an agency, we send our condolences to the Neal family and will make every effort to meet with them.
Once FHP completes its investigation, the officer involved will undergo an Internal Affairs investigation to determine whether any violations of OPD’s Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy occurred. If violations are found, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. As noted in our media release on February 20, (the officer) has been relieved of duty.
OPD’s Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy is strong and aligns with most agencies in Florida. Orlando Police Department policies are routinely reviewed to meet standards and adapt to any necessary changes. Since January 2022, OPD has conducted 154,992 traffic stops. 3% of those drivers fled from OPD. Of those, five were deemed in violation of our Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy.
We aim to be transparent, as we are guided by strict policies and procedures, and we will release information as soon as we are able without compromising the investigations. Regarding requests for dash cam footage, the vehicle driven by the officer was not equipped with a dash cam. However, as standard procedure, body-worn camera footage and additional documentation will be available once the investigation concludes.
FHP has indicated they would prefer OPD refrain from releasing the footage at this time. We want to reiterate that as FHP is leading the independent investigation, all follow-up questions should be redirected to them.
Orlando Police Department (Feb. '25)
The police department told News 6 in a statement Wednesday that the officer remains on paid administrative leave and an internal investigation is ongoing.