DAYTONA BEACH — The Volusia Sheriff’s Office is seeking a warrant for vehicular homicide against the driver who smashed into a beach tollbooth, killing a Daytona Beach woman.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood made the announcement at a press conference June 2 at the sheriff’s office training center near Daytona Beach.
The agency is still gathering evidence, including obtaining a warrant to secure any evidence from the vehicle.
He also shared a timeline of events that led up to Tammie Jo Baker’s death and 911 calls from witnesses who reported someone driving dangerously before the incident.
The information also revealed that when Baker stepped into the booth, stationed at the Dunlawton Boulevard ramp, she was hit almost immediately.
Deanna Harrell, 35, was Baker Acted on the day of the incident, June 1, as authorities conducted the investigation. Chitwood expressed frustration at “keyboard commandos” who criticized the delay in charges.
“We do not investigate based on what the media thinks, what social media thinks,” he said.He said the sheriff’s office attempted to get a charge on June 1, but the State Attorney’s Office wanted more information.
He also said that the sheriff’s office is testing her blood.
What was Harrell doing before she hit the DBS tollbooth?
Harrell lives in a state park, Chitwood said. She has “no real criminal history” but does have a risk protection order against her from 2025 that prohibits her from possessing a firearm.
While the investigation is still unfolding, the sheriff’s office released a brief timeline of what happened leading up to the fatal crash.
Here’s what they found, Chitwood said:
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Attendant spent less than a minute inside tollbooth before fatal crash
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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