Local Driver Killed During SUV Crash at Melbourne Firework Store

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 30, 2022

A two-vehicle accident led to a fiery inferno at a popular firework store in Melbourne Monday afternoon, according to preliminary reports from the responding officers with the Brevard County Fire Rescue.

Early investigations performed by troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol indicate that it was approximately 4:15 p.m. on November 28, 2022, when 53-year-old John Marcano was driving a red Dodge Durango near the intersection of West New Haven Avenue and South John Rodes Boulevard in West Melbourne. For reasons that are currently unclear, the driver of the Dodge SUV rear-ended a nearby white Toyota Tacoma. It was as the female driver of the pickup was pulling her vehicle over to the side of the road to exchange insurance information that the SUV once again struck the truck.

As a result of the second collision, both the Toyota and the Dodge were propelled into the parking lot of Phantom Fireworks, located at 4433 West New Haven Avenue. The Toyota came to a complete stop, but the Dodge Durango continued forward and crashed through a set of the store’s windows. Sparks from the accident immediately started a fire inside the business which sent two employees scrambling for safety. A total of thirty Brevard County firefighters were called to the scene to extinguish the fire, which had erupted into a huge blaze with large billows of black smoke that could be seen for miles.

When the fire was finally suppressed, officers with the West Melbourne Police Department and members of the Florida Highway Patrol sadly discovered that the 53-year-old driver of the Dodge Durango did not survive the accident. He was declared dead at the scene by emergency responders.

The floor manager and sales associate at Phantom Fireworks both managed to escape without any injuries. The driver of the Toyota Tacoma was also unharmed.

The victim, 53-year-old John Marcano, was a loving husband and doting father of two sons. “He was just a funny and happy guy. He loved his wife, his children. Hard worker, working for the same company for 18 years,” said the victim’s cousin in a statement to the media.

The Florida State Fire Marshal and the Florida Highway Patrol are performing separate, yet parallel investigations. Further information is expected to be released to the public at the conclusion of the case.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.