A Tallahassee man has been charged in connection with a June 8 hit-and-run on Blountstown Highway (S.R. 20) that left a bicyclist dead.
Codan Edward Garrison, 37, has been charged with “hit and run, failing to remain at crash involving death,” a felony, in the deadly crash that killed Theresa Stitley, according to court records.
She had been pronounced dead at the scene by a TPD firefighter. The investigation eventually yielded pieces of Garrison’s vehicle and video evidence recovered from nearby retail shop cameras, showing a white SUV traveling east a few minutes after the crash that had right-front damage.
Here’s what happened: On June 10, FHP received an anonymous tip that a vehicle matching the description of the one involved in the hit-and-run was possibly at Tommy’s Auto Services. FHP spoke with the owner who led them to the back of the business. That’s where a white GMC Yukon XL was found, with damage consistent with reports.
The owner was asked who the car belonged to and he pointed FHP in the direction of Garrison, his employee. When asked where he was at 9 p.m. the night of the hit-and-run, Garrison said he was “stuck in a mud hole on Joe Thomas Road.” Garrison initially stuck to his statement, saying he was never on Highway 20.
He soon changed his story admitting to driving east on Blountstown Highway and further admitted to hitting an object that he believed to be a deer. When asked why he didn’t stop, he said he had hit “like 15” deer in his life.
He was finally arrested July 18. As troopers approached his home to serve a warrant, Garrison drove away. Troopers followed and noticed his vehicle had an expired tag. They confirmed the tag was not only expired but was not assigned to the vehicle. They took him into custody without incident and was taken to the Leon County jail.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Surveillance, tips crack case in deadly Highway 20 hit-and-run, FHP says
Reporting by Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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