A 35-year-old Florida woman has been arrested in connection of a 2017 hit-and-run on I-95 that killed a young mother.
Sherri Ward of Middleburg is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
Jazmin Rodriguez, 25, was struck by a silver SUV at 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2017, after her black Kia became disabled on I-95 southbound near Old St. Augustine Road, authorities said.
Rodriguez was struck while outside of her car and was able to tell first responders that she was hit by a silver SUV, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
The owner of a body shop was watching a news report about the crash that mentioned a silver SUV. The body shop owner believed that a car in his shop – a silver 2009 Honda Pilot – might be the vehicle involved, JSO said.
Rodriguez, mom to a 7 yo boy, got out of her car on I-95 to check her tires. A car -- possibly a gray Honda pilot -- fled after hitting her pic.twitter.com/epIUfj4e6p
— Brittney Donovan (@brittneyANjax) January 15, 2017
The body shop owner told police that the SUV was dropped off by Ward soon after the crash. Ward told him that she had hit a construction barrel, but the owner told JSO that the Honda had damage that was inconsistent with her story.
Black paint and markings – the same color as the car driven by Rodriguez – were found on the Honda Pilot, JSO said.
JSO said they obtained cellphone records that showed Ward was traveling southbound on I-95 near Old St. Augustine Road at the time of the crash. Ward told a friend that she had struck a guardrail, JSO said.
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