VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Highway Patrol is reopening its investigation into a deadly Volusia County crash that killed 19-year-old Kaylee Kennedy.
The decision comes about a week after News 6 reported that Kennedy’s family was seeking a fresh review of the case. The crash happened in September 2024 on U.S. 17 in DeLeon Springs.
Kennedy’s father, Darren Kennedy, said he and his family are relieved by the decision.
“It is ecstatic for me and my family,” Darren Kennedy said. “We are very, very happy that they’ve seen enough that they’re going to open the case and get to the truth and hopefully bring me and my wife closure.
Kennedy, a Volusia County deputy, has spent nearly two years seeking answers about his daughter’s death. The crash involved Kennedy’s Jeep Wrangler and a Chevrolet Silverado. The other driver was injured.
The family and its attorney say the Florida Highway Patrol reports contain conflicting information. An initial crash report said the Silverado crossed into Kennedy’s lane and struck her Jeep. A later traffic homicide report said Kennedy’s Jeep crossed into oncoming traffic and entered the Silverado driver’s lane. The reports also disagree about where the crash happened.
Darren Kennedy and his attorney sent FHP an analysis prepared by their own crash reconstruction expert. In an email shared with News 6, the agency said troopers reviewed the information, reopened the case and reassigned it to a special investigations and reconstruction team.
“It takes more effort and hours to uncover something than it does to just do the job right the first time,” Kennedy said.
News 6 emailed FHP to request more information about the next steps in the investigation but had not received a response.
Documents obtained by News 6 show that at least one of the troopers who investigated Kennedy’s case also worked on the case involving Lindsay Isaacs. Isaacs was wrongfully arrested and spent 13 days in jail in connection with a fatal crash in which she was not involved.
Kennedy said he is prepared to accept the findings of the new investigation, even if they determine his daughter was at fault.
“As long as all of the evidence that they bring forward to me 100% proves that my daughter is at fault, I will have to accept that and deal with those consequences,” Kennedy said. “But at least I’ll have closure.”
FHP also told the family it is trying to recover any available data from Kennedy’s Jeep. The agency expects to know within the next couple of weeks whether that will be possible.