Alzheimer's patient involved in crash that killed infant had valid license, police say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Home health care workers told Port Orange police that 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient Ray Beams should not be behind the wheel of a car.

When police checked his legal status, they found that Beams – who was involved in an accident that killed a 21-month-old girl and sent her mother to the hospital – had a valid license with no restrictions and a car registered in his name.

Port Orange police were looking for Beams Monday after he was reported missing from his home at 6:18 p.m.

When officers responded to his Adrianne Court home in Port Orange, they found his car missing.

They ran the license plate number and found that Beams had been in an accident at 6:29 p.m., a Port Orange incident report said.

The accident was reported at the intersection of Reliability Way and North Williamson Boulevard in Daytona Beach. Beams, driving a gold Mercury, hit a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV in the rear, police said.

The force of the impact caused the SUV to roll over and come to rest in the northbound lanes of the highway, investigators said.

Beams then crossed into oncoming traffic and drove onto the sidewalk, hitting a woman who was pushing a baby stroller, police said.

The woman and her child were dragged under Beams’ car a short distance before the Mercury hit a tree, the Daytona Beach police said.

The woman, Christian Sims, 24, was seriously injured in the crash, police said.

Her 21-month-old daughter, Iris Barnes, was killed.

“In the blink of an eye, it was over,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said. “You’re on a sidewalk and something like this happens.

“I don’t know if there was even time to react.”

The driver of the Tahoe, Shirley Wilson, 63, was taken to the hospital where she was listed in good condition, police said.

Beams and Sims were also taken to the hospital where they were listed in serious condition.

The infant victim in the crash was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Was it a medical condition that he suffered at the time of the crash. All of that's going to have to be looked at before they can make a determination of whether charges are filed," Jimmie Flynt of the Daytona Beach Police Department said.

Officials said Beams had a history of incidents related to Alzheimer's and dementia before the crash.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Cox Media Group