Honk News (Sarasota, FL) – A 72-year-old woman from Florida has been taken into custody following an alleged hit-and-run incident that resulted in the tragic deaths of two young children and left their mother in a coma, reportedly with minimal brain function or response, according to prosecutors.
On Monday, February 10, around 8:30 p.m., Taeler Bennett, 29, was navigating a street in Sarasota with her 5-month-old son, Kiylan, secured in a baby carrier on her chest, while also pushing her 2-year-old son, Rio, in a stroller, when a Lexus collided with them, according to a police statement.
Bennett crashed onto the hood of the white Lexus ES300, smashing the windshield to pieces, according to Assistant State Attorney Josha Wertheim, as reported.
The Sarasota Police Department stated that the driver “fled the scene, failing to render aid or contact 911.”
Authorities initiated an inquiry and on Monday, March 3, took June Fenton, from Sarasota, into custody.
Fenton faces two charges related to fleeing the scene of a traffic accident that led to a death and another that caused serious injury.
She has been apprehended and is currently held at the Sarasota County Jail, with a bond set at $650,000, as per online jail records.
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During a court hearing on Tuesday, March 4, Wertheim stated that Fenton, a retired hospice worker, was out feeding stray cats that night when she reportedly hit the family, according to Fox 13 News.
Prosecutors claimed that Bennett and her children had only begun to cross the street and were “clearly visible” when the vehicle hit them, according to reports from News Channel 8.
Fenton kept heading south on U.S. 301 before returning to the scene of the accident, prosecutors reported, as reported.
According to prosecutors, Bennett and the two children were found lying in the middle of the road, with bystanders gathered around them to offer assistance.
Prosecutors claimed that Fenton drove away once more.