Two years after a deadly wreck on South Nova Road, Daytona Beach police have arrested the driver they say was behind the wheel. Officers took 37-year-old Jaboa Burke into custody on March 24, 2026, in connection with a January 2024 crash that left passenger Sarah Keeler dead. For Keeler’s family, seeing Burke booked into the county jail on a vehicular homicide charge brings a measure of relief after what they describe as a long and painful wait for accountability.
Investigators, as reported by WESH, say Burke was driving with Keeler in the passenger seat when the car veered into oncoming traffic on South Nova Road, slammed into a metal guardrail, and then hit a concrete power pole. Keeler was rushed to a hospital and died hours later. Authorities told WESH that officers believed Burke was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time. A warrant for her arrest was issued in December 2025, and she was finally booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in March 2026.
"It was just a sigh of relief because now I know that justice is finally in the process of being served for my mom," Keeler’s daughter, Arianna, told WESH. The family described Sarah Keeler as a kind, big-hearted person and said they are eager for the case to move toward closure. At the same time, they voiced frustration that Burke was not taken into custody at the scene back in January 2024.
What the charge means
Burke is charged under Florida’s vehicular homicide statute. F.S. 782.071 defines vehicular homicide as killing a human being through the operation of a motor vehicle in a reckless manner and generally classifies it as a second-degree felony. The law allows the charge to be elevated if the driver fails to render aid or has certain prior convictions. It also provides for civil damages and lets courts order community-service hours at trauma centers as part of a sentence.
Why the case took so long
Daytona Beach police told local reporters they would release more details about the investigative timeline, but for Keeler’s family, the delay has already felt agonizing. Fatal crash cases can involve toxicology testing, witness interviews, and detailed evidence review, and those steps can stretch out the time between a wreck and an arrest. Families and victims’ advocates say long waits like this deepen grief and frustration while they push for answers and accountability.
What’s next
Burke was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail, which public records list at 1300 Red John Road in Daytona Beach. According to Volusia County, the corrections site handles first-appearance hearings and bookings at the Branch Jail. From here, the case will move on to the local court calendar, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will set preliminary hearings and arraignments.
Keeler’s family said they will wait for the court to schedule hearings and for prosecutors to move the case forward while they continue to remember Sarah Keeler. Public records and court filings are expected to outline the next steps in the coming weeks.
