Here’s the latest on the Sarasota hit-and-run case that killed a young mother and her two sons and drew national attention.
A trial date has been set for a 73-year-old Sarasota woman in connection with the fatal February 2025 crash that killed 29-year-old Taeler Joy Bennett and her two children, court records show.
June Fenton is expected to face a jury trial in early December, nearly two years after she was arrested and charged with three counts of hit and run involving death.
Bennett was critically injured in the crash, while her sons — 2-year-old Rio Galliher and 5-month-old Kiylan Galliher — were killed as they crossed the street with her, Sarasota police said.
Bennett died two months later after being in a coma, according to previous reporting.
What happened the night of Feb. 10, 2025?
Bennett had just moved to Sarasota from Ohio with her family looking for a fresh start.
On the night of the incident, then 72-year-old Fenton crashed her Lexus ES300 into Bennett and her two sons near U.S. 301 (North Washington Boulevard) and 7th Street at 8:30 p.m., police said.
The probable cause affidavit in Fenton’s case states that the Lexus applied the brakes after hitting Bennett and her two sons, before continuing south towards 5th Street, where the car made a U-turn.
The Lexus then drove slowly past where pedestrians were providing first aid to the family, according to surveillance video collected by police.
In the video, damage to the car’s front bumper and grill can be seen, according to the affidavit.
Pieces of the car’s headlight lens and plastic pieces were collected and determined to belong to a 2013 Lexus ES300 sedan. Two days after the crash, investigators found a car that matched the description of the suspect vehicle which led them to Fenton’s home.
Fenton told officers she’d been out feeding stray cats in the area of Pines of Sarasota and was heading home, according to the affidavit. She told officers she’d been on U.S. 301 and thought she’d hit a dog at 7th Street, did a U-turn and drove past the scene.
“Fenton stated she saw several people in the road, and she did not want to see a dog suffering,” the affidavit states. “Fenton stated once she saw people there helping the dog, she went home.”
Sarasota officers arrested Fenton in connection to the crash on March 3, almost a month after the fatal crash. Fenton posted bond after paying $65,000, a day after her arrest, and is required to wear an ankle monitor.
When is June Fenton expected to be in court next?
Court records indicate that in mid-November November 2026 there will be a docket sounding in the case which will confirm if the case moves forward to a jury trial in early to mid-December.
While court records do set out a tentative timeline of when certain hearings and trial dates are expected to occur in a case, these are subject to change as the case progresses.
New crosswalk build by FDOT a street down from where mother, sons hit
Following the incident on U.S. 301, a crosswalk was built by the Florida Department of Transportation a block south of where Bennett and her children were hit.
In response to an email inquiry from a Herald-Tribune reporter, a department communications specialist noted that the crosswalk was built in “a different location from the tragic crash at 7th Street that claimed the lives of a mother and her two children.”
The crosswalk was built at US 301 and 6th Street after it met certain “criteria” based on the Traffic Engineering Manual, according to the email.
The spokesperson stated that the crosswalk was not implemented in response to the crash.
“FDOT continues to monitor the crosswalk and has engaged with the community, the City of Sarasota, and local law enforcement to gather feedback and identify ways to improve awareness and compliance at the crossing,” according to the email.
As of time of publication, a department spokesperson had not yet responded to follow up questions from the Herald-Tribune as to when it was determined that the crosswalk needed to be built, the dates of construction and the cost associated with the build.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota hit-and-run that killed mom, 2 sons heads to trial
Reporting by Gabriela Szymanowska and Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
