FHP Searching for Driver Behind Orlando Hit-and-Run

Early on Friday morning, near the intersection of Hoffner Avenue and Redditt Road in Orlando, a young woman was walking along the shoulder of the street when she was struck and killed by a passing car.  According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman, the 21-year-old Jessica Esteras, was an Orlando resident.  It is believed that the car collided with her sometime around 3:30 in the morning.  At the scene of the accident, the Florida Highway Patrol reported that a side-view-mirror and some other fragments were found.  It is believed that these fragments may come from a Chevy, although the debris did not provide much more information than that.   

Sgt. Kim Montes, the spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, reported that Esteras was found around 4:00 in the morning and was dead when the authorities discovered her.  Esteras’ mother, Ana Irizarry, has said that her daughter lived near where she was found.  According to Irizarry, Esteras had argued with her boyfriend shortly before the accident, and that after the fight she had gone walking along the side of the road in order to calm down.

It was during this walk that the car, which has yet to be discovered, struck and killed her.  At the time of this writing, the driver of the vehicle is still at large, and the authorities are working with very limited information in their attempt to discover the individual responsible.  These cases are some of the most difficult for both the police and the families of the victims, and far too frequently they go unsolved as the individuals responsible are too scared to come forward and admit their crime.  To do so would mean that the driver behind the hit-and-run vehicle would face the punishment that the law requires, although this punishment is far less severe for individuals who turn themselves over than it is for those who are caught while trying to run away from the accident.

Hit-and-run accidents happen with a disturbing frequency in Florida, and over the years the Florida Highway Patrol has worked in conjunction with local law enforcement officials to try and curb the number of these devastating incidents.  Every year, scores of families throughout the state lose a loved one due to hit-and-run accidents.  Ensuring that the people responsible for these deaths are identified is important for both the surviving loved ones and for the continued safety of our communities.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.