ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A taxi driver who got out of her cab to help a stranded driver was struck and killed Monday night on the Beachline in Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
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Troopers said Dana Nelson, 47, of Orlando, stopped around 9 p.m. to help the driver of a disabled pickup truck when she was hit by a Dodge Dart.
The 24-year-old driver who Nelson was helping called 911 for help.
"The lady was standing behind me helping me get jumped so I could start my vehicle and the vehicle came right, it slammed right into her. I was standing right next to her. I think the car hit my hand," said the caller.
The FHP said charges are pending against the driver of the Dart, identified as Michael Hook, 26 of Merritt Island. He was not injured in the crash.
Troopers said Hook was driving west on State Road 528 and traveled onto the right shoulder for an unknown reason and struck Nelson and her Mears taxi, a 2014 Toyota Camry. Nelson died at the scene, the FHP said.
Nelson has worked for Mears Transportation since November 2015 as an independent contractor.
A representative with the company wouldn't say if she was working at the time of the crash as this is an open investigation but they did release a statement saying:
"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident. Dana Nelson provided an important service to her passengers while driving a taxicab in Central Florida. Her service and desire to help others was shown last night as she attempted to assist a disabled motorist on the side of the highway. We are in touch with her family and are offering assistance. We will continue to work with the Florida Highway Patrol on this ongoing investigation.
News 6 stopped by Nelson's home.
Her mother answered the door but wasn't ready to speak with media.
Nelson's neighbor, Nicholas Grant says Nelson, a mother of two teenagers, was a woman of good character.
"She was just very friendly. Very nice people. So, you know it was just sad to see this event happened to them," said Grant.
Troopers don't believe Hook will face any criminal charges but a violation is expected given the severity of the crash.
"We don't expect that he was under the influence of anything but as the investigation does continue we're going to look at the most serious charge that we can apply to something like this because it did result in someone's life being lost," said Florida Highway Patrol State Trooper Steven Montiero.
Montiero says Nelson and the man she was helping did everything right.
"They were broken down vehicles. They were in the emergency lane where they should have been. There was no where else for them to be. They were doing everything right. There was nothing extra that they should have been doing," said Montiero.