Driver who fatally hit Lake Worth Beach was treated at methadone clinic minutes before crash

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida. New details are being released about a cyclist killed by a driver who ran away from the scene near Lake Worth Beach.

Deputies arrested 45-year-old Celeste Boxstrom in fatal accident featuring 70-year-old cyclist Oscar Lopez. The accident happened around 10:30 am on July 6, 2022.

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies discovered Boxstrom at her home shortly after the accident occurred.

According to an arrest affidavit, Boxstrom told detectives that she had abandoned the car used in the accident at the cemetery in an attempt to hide it. She said she then left and called a friend to pick her up and drive her home.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Boxstrom also admitted to being treated at a methadone clinic on Lake Worth Road minutes before the accident. Boxstrom said she has been in treatment for several years and that she takes 120 mg of methadone every time she goes to the clinic, according to the sworn testimony.

Detectives said that during her conversation with Boxstrom, she showed multiple signs of disturbance, including “falling asleep” during interrogation, “slow movements, slow slurred speech, a hoarse voice, and constricted pupils.”

Surveillance video obtained from detectives showed that Boxstrom arrived at the clinic at 10:04 a.m. and left the clinic at 10:23 a.m., just minutes before the accident and half a mile from the crash site.

Boxstrom was jailed in the Palm Beach County Jail on Thursday.

She faces numerous charges, including the location of the incident resulting in death and tampering with evidence.