ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orlando man is facing two felony charges more than two years after he struck and killed a woman riding an electric scooter near the University of Central Florida’s main campus and fled the scene, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
On Feb. 18, 2023, Nico Anthony Torres, 30, was driving his white 2022 Ford F-350 pickup truck northbound on Bonneville Drive near Scranton Avenue when he failed to observe Skye Van Dyne, 28, who was traveling north on the same road. The right front of Torres’ truck struck Van Dyne from behind, according to an FHP report.
The force of the impact propelled Van Dyne more than 105 feet in a northeasterly direction, where she came to rest on the east shoulder of the road. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers said Torres continued driving north on Bonneville Drive, fleeing the crash scene. Data pulled from the truck’s infotainment system placed Torres’ vehicle traveling at 88 miles per hour in a posted 45 mph zone at the time of the crash.
A Crimeline tip in March 2023 led investigators to the truck, which was found parked in the backyard of a home on Judge Avenue with visible damage to the right front headlight and fender. A search warrant was obtained, and the truck was towed and processed for evidence.
FDLE lab analysis later confirmed that plastic debris recovered from the crash scene matched pieces from the passenger-side headlight of Torres’ truck, troopers said.
Torres was charged on April 6 with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and vehicular homicide.