Maserati lands in icy pond after Facebook Live video of salesman driving 111 mph

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — A 24-year-old killed in an apparent high-speed Maserati crash over the weekend had posted a Facebook Live video at night showing the car going more than 110 mph.

Brandon Gianopoulos of Fort Collins worked at the dealership that owned the vehicle, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Deputies received a call at 9:40 a.m. MT Saturday from a passerby walking near a ditch who reported seeing a heavily damaged car submerged in a pond. Temperatures in the area had dipped below 20 degrees overnight, and Gianopoulos was found dead in the car whose topside was covered in frost.

Gianopoulos apparently lost control of the 2017 Maserati sometime Friday night or early Saturday morning, investigators said.

Scammer steals $81,000 Maserati from dealership

He had been a salesman at Mike Ward Maserati, about a mile from the accident, since October, according to his LinkedIn page. At one point during the night Gianopoulous had posted a 20-second Facebook Live video showing his speedometer peaking at 111 mph.

"It is impossible for us to understand why these things happen and we are all extremely saddened by this tragedy," owner Mike Ward said in a statement. "Our condolences go out to his family and all that knew and loved Brandon."

The least expensive 2017 Maserati Ghibli starts at around $70,000, can go from zero to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and has a top speed of 175 mph. More expensive models like the GranTurismo can cost almost $200,000 and accelerate to 186 mph, according to Car and Driver magazine.

Douglas County investigators believe excessive speed was a factor in the wreck, but the case remains open.

Follow Kevin Vaughan on Twitter: @writerkev