CASSELBERRY, FL – Two brothers are dead after a suspected drug trafficker sped away from deputies and slammed into their SUV during a Tuesday afternoon chase through Seminole County.
Who Were the Victims
Christopher Marier, 42, and his younger brother Tyler Marier, 40, were killed instantly when their gray SUV was broadsided at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17-92 and Sunnytown Road in Casselberry.
Christopher had built a career around public service. He spent years as a police officer in North Port before going back to school for his doctorate in criminology. This past August, he joined the University of Central Florida as an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, after previously teaching at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Family members say Christopher was quiet, kind, and always encouraging to the people around him. He had reportedly been helping Tyler get into a rehab program and had lined up a new job for him.
Christopher’s 14-year-old son, Ben, is now speaking publicly about the loss of his father and uncle. He described his dad as a man who lived to lift others up and hoped his own sons would one day surpass him in life.
UCF released a statement calling Christopher a valued member of the university community whose teaching and mentorship left a lasting mark in the short time he was there.
How the Crash Happened
Here is what investigators say led up to the collision:
- Around 11:51 a.m., Seminole County deputies tried to stop a vehicle near 25th Street and State Road 417 in Sanford on suspicion of fentanyl trafficking.
- The driver, identified as 26-year-old Marquavious Tayvon Wheaton, refused to pull over and fled south on U.S. Highway 17-92.
- Deputies chose not to chase the car directly, instead tracking it from the air for safety reasons.
- Wheaton’s car reportedly topped 100 mph at points during the flight.
- About 13 minutes after the attempted stop, his vehicle struck the Marier brothers’ SUV near Sunnytown Road.
- Witnesses described hearing a loud crash and watching the vehicle catch fire shortly after impact.
Wheaton was taken into custody at the scene and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Casselberry police say his injuries are not life-threatening. Charges, including fleeing and eluding law enforcement and reckless speeding, are expected, though he had not been formally charged as of Wednesday.
Court records show Wheaton has a lengthy criminal history in Seminole County, including a 2019 armed robbery conviction and a 2025 drug arrest while he was on probation and wearing a GPS monitor.
Multiple agencies, including Altamonte Springs, Longwood, and Winter Springs police, assisted at the scene alongside the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
Ben says he hopes sharing his father’s story will remind others not to take time with loved ones for granted, and to tell family members they love them whenever they get the chance.
