PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Hit-and-run crashes are an issue in Palm Beach County, with tragic consequences for victims and their families.
State data shows thousands of hit-and-run incidents each year, many resulting in injuries and deaths.
“This year has seen around a 25% increase in our office,” said State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
Aronberg said a reason could be the amount of out-of-towners on our roads. In the case of Janiga, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, a driver from Virginia is listed as behind the wheel in Monday morning's fatal crash. PBSO also releasing that the vehicle involved was a Ford F-450 recovered in connection to her death.
What is not known right now is if the driver is facing charges, PBSO said this is an active case.
While much remains unknown in the Aero Club Drive incident, Aronberg says these types of cases can come with obstacles.
“The law has been changed in recent years to make it harder to prosecute these cases, you have to prove that the individual who caused the death knew or should have known that they hit someone,” said Aronberg. “If you flee the scene when someone’s been seriously injured, it’s a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. When you flee the scene, and someone dies you can get up to 30 years in prison.”
Just days prior, 44-year-old Drew Winters was killed while crossing 45th Street west of Interstate 95. The driver also leaving the scene and the vehicle was recovered in Riviera beach.
“There are challenges in investigating these cases, you have to put the driver behind the wheel. We’ve had cases where you can identify the owner of the car but the person can say the car was stolen,” said Aronberg. “If you know something, you’ve got to report it, because we depend on the community to put these wrongdoers behind bars.”
Meanwhile, as loved ones of Janiga continue to mourn her loss, she is being remembered by those who worked with her as an extraordinary educator who touched the lives of countless students.
