Jordan Beard, 40, of Bradenton has been arrested after leaving the scene of a fatal crash that killed a 77-year-old woman Friday afternoon, May 1, according to authorities. Beard originally faced a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving death, but police have now added DUI manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
Officers with the Bradenton Police Department responded around 1 p.m. to the 5600 block of 11th Avenue West following reports of a hit-and-run involving a pedestrian. When they arrived, they found Vicki Noon, 77, dead at the scene.
Investigators said Noon was in the yard of her home when a vehicle veered off the road and struck her.
Witnesses reported seeing a gold sedan leave the area after the crash. Officers canvassed the neighborhood for surveillance footage and obtained an image of the vehicle, according to a police news release.
A Bradenton police sergeant later located the car at a residence in the 7200 block of 13th Avenue West, within walking distance of the crash site. The driver, identified as Beard, was at the home and cooperated with detectives.
Additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues, police said.
Two Sarasota County residents arrested in fatal hit-and-run
In related news, the Herald-Tribune reported Thursday, April 30, that two Venice residents were arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash on U.S. 41 and West Seminole Drive in Sarasota County on April 12, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Through an investigation, the FHP was able to locate the hit-and-run vehicle, a 2021 Jeep Wrangler, in a garage off Rolla Road. It was determined that Joseph Younts was the driver, and Kelly Black was the passenger at the time of the crash.
According to a press release from the FHP, the investigation also determined that Younts and Black attempted to tamper with and destroy evidence by concealing the Jeep, removing decals and attempting to fix damage after the crash.
On April 12, the two left a bar together in Sarasota, with Younts driving, and Black the passenger. While driving on U.S. 41, the Jeep collided with a pedestrian, according to the FHP.
Younts drove away, the FHP said, leaving the critically injured pedestrian, a 28-year-old male and resident of Venice, in the middle of U.S. 41. The injured pedestrian was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced dead.
On April 30, state troopers placed Younts under arrest for leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with evidence. Both are felonies. He was booked into the Charlotte County Jail.
Black was arrested for accessory after the fact, which is also a felony, and was booked into the Sarasota County Jail.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Man charged with DUI manslaughter in deadly Bradenton crash
Reporting by Wade Tatangelo and Chris Anderson, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
