A man crossing Sheridan Street in Dania Beach early Saturday was struck and killed by a driver who kept going, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Deputies arrested 21-year-old Keila Maldonado a short time later, accusing her of leaving the scene of a fatal crash and then tampering with evidence.
According to NBC 6, deputies got a call about a hit-and-run near the 200 block of Sheridan Street at around 1:32 a.m. Saturday. When they and fire rescue crews arrived, they found a man lying in the roadway; he was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.
Investigators told the outlet the man was crossing the westbound lanes of Sheridan Street when he was hit by a Hyundai, whose driver did not stop and kept driving. The same report from Miami Herald identifies the vehicle as a Hyundai Sonata and says detectives were able to trace it using vehicle parts left behind on the road.
Trail Led Detectives to a North Miami Beach Dealership
That trail led detectives to a dealership in North Miami Beach, where the Sonata was found secured in a parking garage, its damage consistent with a collision, per the station's report. A dealership employee told investigators Maldonado had said she was driving near Hollywood when she hit someone and left.
Maldonado herself later told detectives she had struck a person on a scooter after leaving Hollywood Beach and never called law enforcement, the same account states. Deputies determined she was the driver of the Sonata and took her into custody. She was booked into Broward Main Jail, charged with failing to stop and remain at the scene of an accident involving death and with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
A judge set her bond at $51,000 during a court appearance Sunday. The case remains under investigation, and no further hearing date was included in the available reporting.
What Florida Law Requires After a Fatal Crash
Under Florida law, a driver involved in a crash that kills someone must immediately stop, remain at the scene and fulfill reporting requirements, according to the Florida Legislature. Willfully violating that provision is a first-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum four-year prison sentence, and a conviction also requires the driver's license to be revoked for at least three years.
Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence is generally charged as a third-degree felony under Florida law, escalating to a second-degree felony if the underlying investigation involves a capital offense, per the same statutory framework.
The Sheridan Street Fatal Hit-and-Run
The fatal hit-and-run along Sheridan Street near North Federal Highway was the Saturday-morning crash involving Maldonado, according to a report from NBC 6. WSVN also reported that one person died in a hit-and-run on Saturday, citing Broward Sheriff's Office deputies.
The crash lands amid a broader statewide pattern. Florida recorded 3,726 pedestrian fatalities between 2020 and 2024, the third-highest total of any state, according to a Florida Phoenix report. The state's average pedestrian fatality rate of 3.32 deaths per 100,000 residents trails only New Mexico, Louisiana, Arizona and South Carolina, and the Phoenix report ranked Florida the fifth most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians, with the Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Palm Beach County metro area ranked 17th nationally among the most dangerous.
