One woman was killed in Daytona Beach Shores on Monday after a pickup truck crashed through the toll booth at Dunlawton Avenue. 62-year-old Tammy Jo Baker was confirmed dead at the scene shortly after the 12:40 p.m. incident. Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood gave a media briefing at the beach where the crash occurred midday on Monday. He said that the suspect, Ormond Beach resident Deanna Harrell, drove her black Ford F-150 east through the intersection at around 40 miles per hour. Chitwood said lifeguards responded immediately to attempt life-saving measures, but that it was out of their hands. “I think she was probably close to being killed on impact,” he said. “That booth isn’t made of anything, I mean look at it. If you hit that thing at 40 miles an hour, there’s really nowhere to go.” When the truck reached the beach access, it smashed into the toll booth and continued down into the ocean. At this point the truck is said to have turned south on the sand and continued for a moment before becoming stuck. The driver was reportedly removed from the vehicle. Chitwood has said he believes Harrell was intoxicated and thought he smelled alcohol around the truck, but that blood tests and breathalyzers will confirm this either way. “I don’t know how you even put this into words, it’s so senseless,” Chitwood continued. “There’s somebody doing their job, Tammy Jo was a longtime county employee. She recently switched over when the toll-takers went over to a private company. She went over with them. I mean, who would think when you’re standing up here that my life is gonna end getting hit by a drunk driver on the beach approach?” This story is still developing. More details will be added to this and/or subsequent reports as they become available.
Truck Crashes Through Daytona Beach Shores Toll Booth, Killing Attendant
