Lindsay Collins, 32. (Photo/Osceola County Jail)
A 32-year-old bartender was arrested Monday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian dead early Saturday morning on 13th Street.
St. Cloud police say the victim, identified as Jason Gordon, was struck shortly after 3 a.m. as he attempted to cross U.S. 192 near Tennessee Avenue. Gordon had made it across the westbound lanes and was stepping into the outside eastbound lane when a white Chevy Trax hit him and continued driving without stopping.
A witness vehicle pulled over to help, but as it did, a Ford F-350 pickup also struck Gordon. Police said the pickup’s driver realized what had happened and returned to the scene. Gordon was later airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just before 5 a.m.
Witnesses told investigators they had dash-camera footage showing the initial impact involving the Chevy. The video also captured a distinct decal on the rear driver’s side window of the suspect vehicle.
Detectives later connected the SUV to Lindsay Collins, who a witness said is a bartender at a 13th Street establishment. Surveillance video from the bar’s parking lot showed Collins leaving in her white Chevy Trax shortly before the crash.
Friends who had been with Collins that night told investigators she had been drinking but did not appear unable to drive. On Monday, detectives with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office detained Collins outside her home. Police said she immediately placed her hands behind her back when confronted and requested an attorney during questioning. She was booked into the Osceola County Jail on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Jail records show she remains held there as of Tuesday afternoon on a $50,000 bond.