Two pedestrians were left in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Nova Road and Herbert Street in Port Orange, with police responding to the scene around midnight. Emergency crews found both victims critically injured and rushed them to a hospital, while investigators say the driver and even the type of vehicle involved remain unknown.
Midnight Crash Leaves Investigators With Few Answers
According to WKMG, Port Orange police officers responded to Nova Road and Herbert Street around midnight, where emergency personnel located both pedestrians in critical condition before transporting them to a hospital. The report notes that key details — including who was behind the wheel and what kind of vehicle struck the pair — are still unknown, leaving a significant gap in the early investigation.
Police are now asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has information to come forward. The outlet reports that tips can be directed to Traffic Homicide Investigator Officer Garay at 386-506-5838, a crucial lead for a case that currently has no identified driver or vehicle.
A Stretch of Road With a Troubled History
This is not the first time pedestrians have been struck along Port Orange's busiest corridors. Just over a year earlier, a separate vehicle-pedestrian wreck around midnight on Nov. 8, 2025 left one person dead in the 3500 block of South Nova Road near Madeline Avenue, as The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported at the time. In that crash, the pedestrian died at the scene, while the driver and two passengers involved were not injured.
Another pedestrian-involved crash took place at the intersection of Nova Road and Dunlawton Avenue, according to a report from News Daytona Beach. That outlet reported that 29-year-old Colby Roberts was later charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury and was being held without bond, in a hit-and-run case that underscores how often these stretches of Nova Road have turned deadly or near-deadly for people on foot.
A Planned Safety Push for Walkers and Cyclists
The pattern of crashes along Nova Road comes as local agencies have been working to address pedestrian and cyclist safety citywide. The Port Orange Police Department, the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of North Florida had planned to launch an effort intended to help reduce crashes resulting in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and severe injuries, according to the News-Journal's earlier reporting.
For now, the latest crash leaves Port Orange with another pair of critically injured victims and an investigation that hinges on tips from the public. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Port Orange Police Department's traffic homicide unit as the search for the driver continues.
