The woman authorities believe to have struck and killed a pedestrian in Lehigh Acres on Feb. 22 has been arrested on hit-and-run charges.
Hope Birkl, a 26-year-old woman from Lehigh Acres, was arrested Friday morning and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and vehicular homicide, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash took place just past 2 a.m. at Lee Boulevard and Hanna Avenue. A 60-year-old man died at the scene.
Investigators identified the vehicle as a grey Kia. State Troopers located the car on Feb. 23 in a nearby driveway, partially covered by a tarp and with the license plate removed.
Birkl has a history of traffic offenses in Lee County dating back to 2018. Court records indicate she was speeding and ran a stop sign on May 15, 2018 and was arrested when deputies found cocaine and over 20 grams of marijuana in her vehicle.
She was arrested Jan. 9, 2025 and charged with willful and wanton reckless driving. That charge was dropped when she completed a pre-trial diversion program.
Birkl was still in custody on June 28, held on $30,000 bond on the most recent charges.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Woman arrested on charges in Lehigh Acres hit-and-run case
Reporting by Charlie Whitehead, Fort Myers News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
