Hit and Run Kills Teen and Injures Adult

Around 10:45 p.m. Thursday night in Deland a hit and run crash killed one teenage girl and critically injured a 43 year old man. At the intersection of Winnemissett and Brooks Avenues, the accident victims were in a vehicle struck by a speeding car that ran a stop sign. The 43year-old man was driving. After slamming into the passenger side of the vehicle, the 2001 Dodge that caused the wreck propelled both vehicle into a light pole. The teenager was not wearing a seat-belt at the time of the collision. The driver of the Dodge fled the scene and has not been found. He has been described as a thin man with shoulder-length dread locks.

The eighteen year old died at the scene of the accident, and the driver was airlifted to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

This is a horrible tragedy on our local roadways and our sympathies go out to the families of all involved. This incident reminds us of the importance of wearing seatbelts every time we get into a motor vehicle and get out on the roads – every time, no matter how short the time or distance of the trip. Additionally, it is a wonder whether the 2001 Dodge was owned by the driver who fled the scene, owed by someone else but used with the owner’s permission, stolen, or insured at all. This is another devastating reminder – always carry uninsured/under motorist coverage. If there is no liability insurance carrier to make a claim with, or if there is a minimal policy that does not cover the injureds’ damages, uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage would permit the victims or victim’s families to pursue the possibility of a claim against the UM insurance carrier.