Bold claim: a space-center lawsuit over a half-million-dollar vehicle incident exposes how accountability for costly damages is handled at Kennedy Space Center.
Space Florida, which runs the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), has filed suit against Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds LLC, a contractor that conducted automotive testing at the SLF under an agreement with Space Florida. The lawsuit accuses Bohmer of breach of contract and negligence stemming from a 2020 incident in which one of the contractor’s test vehicles allegedly struck and damaged an electrical transformer on the SLF premises. The resulting damage was valued at $561,594.54.
The legal filing includes the contract, which obligated the contractor to cover damage costs. Bohmer has paid $262,000 in two partial installments but has not settled the remaining $299,592.54, according to Space Florida’s complaint.
News 6 reached out to Bohmer for comment but did not receive a reply.
Space Florida issued a statement in response: In 2020, Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds LLC, operating at the Launch and Landing Facility, caused significant damage to NASA-owned electrical equipment. The contractor is responsible for repair costs under the NASA agreement. An initial insurance payout reflected an early estimate, which was later adjusted to reflect a more accurate repair cost. Despite multiple efforts to resolve the outstanding balance and Space Florida providing additional documentation, the contractor and its insurer have declined to reimburse the full amount. Space Florida emphasizes safeguarding state and federal assets and notes that all necessary repairs have been completed, with additional costs covered by Space Florida. After repeated attempts to resolve the matter, Space Florida seeks to recover the full, verified amount to prevent taxpayer funds from bearing repair costs and to uphold responsible stewardship of public assets.
The suit echoes a separate incident on the same runway involving a testing vehicle crash. In 2024, a public records request revealed that a Hennessey Venom F5—one of the world’s fastest cars under development—crashed during straight-line testing along the Kennedy Space Center runway. CEO John Hennessey stated that the $3 million hypercar was near 250 mph when it lost control; the driver survived.
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