No Charges after Homeless Pedestrian Struck and Killed in Daytona Beach

In a strange turn of events, an investigation into the death of a 34-year-old homeless woman that was struck and killed by a car on State Road A1A in Daytona Beach has likely reached a conclusion that has resulted in no charges being filed against the driver of the truck that caused her death.

On Thursday, August 16th, police working with the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to reports of a pedestrian being hit by a city vehicle. The first calls to 9-1-1 reached emergency teams shortly after 3:00 in the morning.

A flatbed dump truck being driven by an employee with the Public Works department for Daytona Beach was traveling down one of the southern lanes on State Road A1A when they neared the intersection of this road and Main Street. Before the dump truck could reach the intersection, they collided with the pedestrian. According to the official report, after striking the person, the dump truck driver continued to travel down the roadway and was only located after the fact when eyewitness accounts led police to accurately track down the vehicle.

The person struck was, as mentioned above, a 34-year-old woman. It is also believed that at the time of the incident she was homeless.

It is not clear if the police investigation was aided by information supplied to them by witnesses to the incident or if some other factor led them their findings, but the report suggests that the woman struck by the car was not inside of the crosswalk at the time. Furthermore, it is believed that she was lying on the ground when the truck came by, although it is not clear what the police think she was doing in such a position.

Following this line of reasoning, the police believe that the driver of the dump truck failed to see the person because the cab of the truck sits many feet off of the ground and, according to the police, this would prevent the driver from being able to both see a person lying in the road and to feel if their tires struck this person.

The investigation is still listed as ongoing, however it does not seem likely that any official charges will result against the driver of the truck.

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.