On Wednesday, an arrest was made in connection with the Christmas Day hit-and-run incident from 2023 that resulted in the death of a man in Melbourne. Tekayiaha Alize Hardy, a 26-year-old woman from Palm Bay, stands accused of the crime. According to ClickOrlando, Hardy has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash with death.
The collision, which claimed the life of 23-year-old Pennsylvanian Drew Sofranko, occurred in the early hours of Christmas Day as he was crossing a road at the intersection of South Harbor City Boulevard and Strawbridge Avenue. Following the incident, Hardy allegedly fled the scene and, as per WESH, attempted to have her vehicle, a white Chevy Malibu, towed away just a mile away from where the accident took place.
Investigators collected critical evidence that led to Hardy's arrest, which included DNA results from her car, phone records, and surveillance video near the area where the crash occurred. She was apprehended through a warrant and will remain in custody without bond until her first court appearance.
The initial bond set for Hardy was $100,000, though Doug Sofranko had expressed he would have preferred no bond but recognized the necessity within the justice system.
