A Collier County mother says she wants justice after her daughter was left in the roadway by the driver who hit.
In a Four in Your Corner investigation, FOX 4 anchor and investigator, Jane Monreal, asked law enforcement why investigators have not made an arrest.
FLORIDA FAMILY IS ASKING FOR ALITTLE HELP WITH FINDING THERIGHT PLACE TO CALL HOME.FOX 4 TAKING A CLOSE-UP LOOK ATHIT AND RUN INCIDENTS INSOUTHWEST FLORIDA.
HI, I’MPATRICK NOLAN.AND I’M JANE MONREAL.
IT’S BEENEXACTLY ONE MONTH SINCE ABICYCLIST WAS HIT BY A CAR ONOLD BURNT STORE ROAD IN CAPECORAL.IN THAT INCIDENT, POLICE SAYTHAT ALCOHOL OR DRUGS WERE AFACTOR.A VIEWER SENT THIS MESSAGE ON MYFACEBOOK ASKING, "WHERE IS THISGUY?"THE POLICE REPORT SAYS A MAJORCRASH INVESTIGATION IS PENDING.ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THE NAME OF THEDRIVER -- HE WAS ALSO HURT INTHE CRASH... WE ARE NOT NAMINGHIM BECAUSE HE HASN’T BEENCHARGED.
BUT I LEARNED THAT HEDOES HAVE A HISTORY OF A DRIVINGVIOLATIONS INCLUDING DUI... ANDA HIT AND RUN.IN THE MEANTIME, THE CONDITIONOF THE ELDERLY WOMAN ON THEBICYCLE IS STILL UNKNOWN.WE’VE REACHED OUT TO CAPE POLICEABOUT THE STATUS OF THE CASE ANDARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK.AND ALL-NEW TONIGHT... A COLLIERCOUNTY MOTHER IS SHARING HERSTORY WITH FOX 4... SHE WANTSJUSTICE AFTER HER DAUGHTER WASLEFT IN THE ROADWAY BY THEDRIVER WHO HIT HER.IN A FOUR IN YOUR CORNERINVESTIGATION, I ASKED LAWENFORCEMENT WHAT THE MOTHERWANTS TO KNOW... AND THAT’S, WHYHAVEN’T INVESTIGATORS MADE ANARREST YET.all00-1010-2042-52242-300THE FAMILY OF ALESSANDRABENAVIDEZ SAYS... THEY’RE NOTSURE WHEN SHE’LL BE RELEASEDFROM THE HOSPITAL.
THE 11 YEAROLD WAS HEADING TO SCHOOL MONDAYMORNING WHEN SHE WAS STRUCK BY ACAR.SOT MOTHER - BRENDA BENAVIDEZ14:18 "My daughter now hasphysical problems, mental,emotional.
I mean, this issomething that’s going to belong term.
For her.
For myhusband.
For myself.
For mydaughters.
Our life changedcompletely that day." 14:36JANE STANDUP"Signs like this are postedthroughout Ave Maria, warningdrivers of an obvious heads upthat pedestrians may be in theroadway at any pedestrians maybe in the roadway at any giventime.
Well, that’s where our eyewitness, Carmen Gray, foundAlessandra’s bicycle, while herbody was on the other side ofthe road."SOT CARMEN GRAY - EYE WITNESS(CLIP 01_7108)23:58:09 "Like a normal driver,you look to your left, yourright, and your left again.
Andthe millisecond I turned back toleft, was the impact.2 3:58:21All I saw was, almost like thematrix, her hair swung.
She hitthe windshield and she fell, andthe vehicle rolled over her,crossed over her rolled overfell, and the vehicle rolledover her ,crossed over her legs,Which caused her to be dragged alittle bit.
23:58:36GRAY -- A RETIRED FIRST RESPONERINSTRUCTOR -- SAYS SHE’S GIVENAID TO TRAUMA PATIENTS BEFORE,BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHEWAS ALSO A WITNESS.SOT - GRAY23:58:43 "I’m screaming in myhead, you need to stop!
So, Iopen my door, my grandchildrenare in the backseat.
And thevehicle keeps going.
I didnotice the brake lights wereapplied and the driver hadpulled to the left and I wentOK, good they’re coming back.And I ran to Alessandra."23:59:02(CLIP 01_7110)10:48 Jane: "She was able totalk to you?
Carmen: She wasunconscious when I approachedher and then after I put myhands on her to see if she wasbreathing then immediately, shestarted screaming, my headhurts." 11:01GRAY SAYS SHE WAS BUSY TENDINGTO THE YOUNG GIRL, WHEN ANOTHERWITNESS TOLD HER...(CLIP 01_7108)SOT - GRAY:24 "The driver is gone.
And Iwent what?
And he goes, she’sgone.
And that’s when I told the911 dispatcher that it’s a hitand run.":32BRENDA BENAVIDEZ SENT ME PHOTOSOF THE CAR -- WITH OBVIOUSDAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD ANDRIGHT SIDE MIRROR.SHE SAYS BY ALL ACCOUNTS, THEDRIVER DID RETURN... LESS THANAN HOUR LATER.SOT - MOM on zoom4:51 "My husband approaches herand says are you the person thathit my daughter?
Yes.
She says,’I was praying and, as I waspraying, I felt something.
Ididn’t know what I hit.
Irealize I hit something when Igot home.’ 5:03 So then sherealizes?
And then she stopped.Because she realizes she didn’tknow how to do CPR, she gotnervous and left." 5:18FHP - GREG BUENO20:33 "By statute, if you wereinvolved in a crash, propertydamage or injury, you shouldimmediately stop your vehicle onscene.
It doesn’t say, go homeand think about it, go havedinner with your friends andcome back days later.
You shallimmediately stop on scene andremain on scene.
20:52 What youshould do morally is call 911."20:54SOT - MOM ON zoom7:26 "I want justice for mydaughter.
I want, you know, thelaw to obviously investigate thesituation.
This is not somethingthat should have just gotten acitation.
I think thereshould’ve been something thatshould’ve been arrested becauseshe because she did leave for alarge amount of time.
One thingis one minute.
This is not aone-minute thing where she madea U-turn and came back." 7:46SOT - GREG BUENO23:08 Jane: Why does it take solong to have any charges filed,if it is indeed, a hit-and-run?Greg: Because we don’t have allthe pieces to the puzzle.
Imean, we have to obviouslylocate the vehicle.
We have tobe able to tie that vehicle tothe scene.
We just can’t say, awhite Ford, oh it was a whiteFord.
I see a white Ford,therefore that’s it.
No, we haveto have a stronger case thanthat or, we’re gonna lose incourt.
23:31THE LEGAL SYSTEM BY WHICH ARECENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE MIGHTBE FAMILIAR WITH.
THE GIRL’SFATHER GOT THE DRIVER’S CARD --SHOWING SHE IS STUDYING LAW ATAVE MARIA UNIVERSITY.(make sure we don’t show hername)SOT - MOM ON ZOOM6:24 "I think anyone thatdoesn’t have a law degree wouldhave common sense.
If they don’tknow CPR at least they wouldknow to call 911.
Or to assist.You’re supposed to stop your carimmediately and assist.Accidents happen." 6:38I REQUESTED THE POLICE REPORTFROM COLLIER COUNTY SHERIFF’SOFFICE.
A SPOKESPERSON EMAILEDBACK SAYING IN PART,{NEED FON}"The driver, whose name we areredacting because she is not yetcharged, returned to the sceneand was issued a notice toappear for leaving the scene ofa crash.
This remains an activeinvestigation.
The crash reportis not yet in our system."SOT FHP GREG BUENO23:34 "We have to put the driverbehind the wheel at the time ofthe crash.
It may seem prettyelementary to do, but it’s verydifficult.
It’s something thatwe have to have, type ofevidence, which statementscorroborate with whatever elsefacts in that investigation tosay, this is indeed whathappened.
We have to haveprobable cause.
Investigationstake time.
23:58 We directlyblame the person that left."24:00I REACHED OUT TO THE DRIVER FORA RESPONSE.
I HAVE NOT HEARDBACK.THERE IS ALSO A GO FUND ME PAGESET UP FOR ALESSANDRA.
YOU CANFIND THAT WHEN YOU GO TO FO 4NOW DOT COM AND CLICK ON THISSTORY.EDUCATING DRIVERS IS THE GOALBETWEEN A SPECIAL HIGHWAY PATROLDETAIL CALLED OPERATION PEDS...PEDESTRIAN EDUCATION ANDDEVELOPING SAFETY.PA