FAMU employee dies after car crash

Tallahassee police are investigating a case in which a Florida A&M employee was involved in a fatal car accident.Curtis J. Wallace, 20, a student research assistant at FAMU vineyards, died March 10, police said, a day after he and another man sped away from the scene of a reported burglary.

According to a TPD press release, about 1 a.m. Monday, March 9, officers responded to a report to a burglary in progress in the 1600 block of Baldwin Park Drive. A neighbor called the police after hearing glass shatter at a neighbor’s house, the police report said.

Upon arriving at the scene, police saw a suspect running near the back of the house. Two other suspects, later identified as Wallace and Edward Gay, 21, sped away in a maroon 2002 Chevrolet Impala, almost hitting the officers, the report said.

The Impala headed at a high speed east on Jackson Bluff Road. Seconds later, the vehicle crashed and overturned several times just east of the intersection of Roberts Avenue and Eisenhower Drive, police said.

When the officers reached the overturned vehicle, they found Gay trapped in the driver’s seat with a head injury. Wallace was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Both suspects were taken to Tallahassee Memorial.

The police said they recovered at least one laptop and a television, those items were believed to be taken during the burglary.

Gay was released and arrested at approximately 2 p.m. on March 9. He was charged with burglary of a dwelling and grand theft. Police said Wallace died of his injuries the next day.

Wallace, who is said to be a student at Tallahassee Community College, is survived by daughter, Za’Niyah Wallace; parents Anthony, Sr. and Retonya Wallace; siblings, Anthony Wallace, Jr. and Taranda Wallace, and a host of other relatives and friends.

A viewing is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday at Richardson Family Funeral Care at 2627 S. Adams St.

A funeral service will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Old West Florida PB Enrichment Center. An attempt was made to contact Wallace’s mother, Retonya, about her son’s death, but she was not available for comment.

Further updates will be posted.