Woman Arrested in Ormond Beach Hit-and-Run

An Ormond Beach woman was arrested on Friday night in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that took place only hours earlier. According to the Florida Highway Patrol’s report, the 25-year-old Jessica Struthers was on her way home from work when she claims she stopped in at a bar for a drink. Struthers statement to the police alleges that she consumed one mixed drink and two shots during a two-hour period of time and that afterwhich she left the bar to go home.

Driving along the 700 block of South Atlantic Avenue in Ormond Beach, Struthers, who was behind the wheel of a white Mazda SUV, struck a pedestrian attempting to cross the street. It is not known whether or not the pedestrian, a 63-year-old Pennsylvania resident named Charles Bofinger, was using a crosswalk at this time. The collision between the driver and the pedestrian was witnessed by at least one person.

The emergency response teams arrived quickly and did everything within their power to assist the badly injured Bofinger. He was rushed to Florida Hospital Oceanside, but unfortunately his injuries were too extensive for the attending doctors and nurses, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Investigating the scene, Florida Highway Patrol officers discovered a piece of the vehicle involved in the accident that clearly identified it as being a Mazda. Using this and the evidence from the witness, they began to try and search for the driver behind the hit-and-run. Their search was quickly ended when a man, claiming to be the boyfriend of the woman behind the wheel of the car, called the police to report that his girlfriend, Jessica Struthers, had just been involved in a crash.

When the police arrived at the house, they discovered a Mazda SUV that perfectly matched the witnesses description. The Mazda also showed signs of damage in places and ways that were congruent with the earlier collision.

After conducting field sobriety tests, Jessica Struthers was arrested. Currently, the charges leveled at her include a DUI causing human death, fleeing the scene of a fatal crash, and the possession of an open container of alcohol in her vehicle.

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.