Vero Beach, Florida – A hit-and-run accident occurred in Vero Beach on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of a pedestrian and the subsequent arrest of a Palm Bay woman identified as 24-year-old Shanice Person. The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office provided details of the arrest in an affidavit, outlining the sequence of events that led to this unfortunate situation.
Details of the Incident and Arrest
In the early hours of Sunday, before 2:30 a.m., police responded to a distressing scene at the intersection of the Barber Bridge and Indian River Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of 39-year-old Jhovan Edgardo Diaz Rojas, who had been struck by a vehicle and was found deceased in the grass median of Indian River Boulevard.
The investigation quickly led police to a black Toyota 4-door vehicle with significant front-side damage and a shattered windshield on the driver’s side. After conducting a traffic stop, law enforcement officers brought the driver, Shanice Person, and two other individuals to the Vero Beach Police Department for questioning.
According to the arrest affidavit, one of the passengers revealed that the group had been at a bar earlier, where they consumed alcohol, including a round of shots. Police observed that Person had bloodshot, watery eyes and detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from her. In her statement to the police, Person admitted to consuming “two cups of Patron” and smoking marijuana at the bar.
Person also disclosed to the police her habitual traffic offender status and the suspension of her driving license. She claimed that initially, she was driving the vehicle but decided to switch with a passenger due to her intoxication. The passenger who took over the driving stated she was unaware of their involvement in a crash until they were stopped by the police.
The suspect further mentioned that she had closed her eyes and did not recall the crash, only remembering being pulled over by law enforcement.