DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the arrest of an Ormond Beach woman accused of driving a pickup truck through a toll booth, killing the attendant inside, before plunging into the ocean at Daytona Beach Shores.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said a warrant has been signed for the arrest of Deanna Harrell, 36, on a charge of vehicular homicide.
Harrell was initially taken into custody under Florida’s Baker Act following the crash but was later released, prompting investigators to pursue formal charges.
The crash occurred Monday afternoon at the Dunlawton Avenue beach access ramp in Daytona Beach Shores. Toll booth attendant Tammie Jo Baker, 63, was killed on impact when the truck struck her booth at an estimated 40 mph before continuing into the ocean.
“I think she was probably close to being killed on impact,” Chitwood said. “That booth isn’t made of anything, if you look at it. And you hit that thing at 40 miles an hour; there’s really nowhere to go. And it flipped the booth around, the force of that.”
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Body-camera footage released Tuesday shows witnesses telling deputies that Harrell smelled of alcohol following the crash. Court records also show Harrell was placed under a temporary risk protection order last year after allegedly threatening to end her own life.
On Tuesday, a vigil was held at the beach access ramp where Baker was working, where family members and Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller gathered to honor her life.