Vodka entrepreneur dies in high-speed crash
US vodka entrepreneur Malcolm Lloyd, founder of the Double Cross Vodka brand, has been killed in a high-speed car crash in Florida.
Malcolm Lloyd, founder of Double Cross Vodka, has been killed in a high-speed crash near Miami BeachLloyd, 42, otherwise known as “Dr Vodka”, founded super-premium Double Cross Vodka in 2008 after giving up a career in medicine.
Police announced that Lloyd was a passenger in a 2012 Lamborghini that was travelling at around 100 miles per hour at 2.50am when it crashed into an SUV standing stationary at a red traffic light near Miami Beach.
Both drivers involved in the crash have been described a being in critical but stable conditions in hospital.
The driver of the sports car, 53-year-old Miami resident Andres Esteban Toro, faces “pending criminal charges”, according to Reuters.
Police have not confirmed reports that Lloyd and Toro were travelling home from luxury hotel Versace Mansion, where former owner Gianni Versace was shot dead in 1997, when the crash happened.
Lloyd received a degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins and a medical doctorate from Dartmouth Medical School. He joined the spirits industry in 2005 when he founded Old Nassau Imports with his godfather.
His Slovakian vodka brand Double Cross and its unique bottle have earned various accolades since its launch, while Lloyd was personally named one of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the US by Goldman Sachs in 2012.
In a statement, the company said: “All of us at Old Nassau Imports are heartbroken over the loss our friend and leader.”
