Overview
- A pickup struck and crushed the Dunlawton Avenue beach access toll booth in Daytona Beach Shores, killing longtime attendant Tammy Jo Baker after lifeguards and EMTs tried to resuscitate her.
- Officials say the truck hit the booth at about 40 mph before driving onto the sand and becoming stuck, and bystanders removed the driver from the vehicle.
- Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the driver, identified in reports as Deanna Harrell, was initially detained under Florida's Baker Act and has since been released from that hold while deputies seek an arrest warrant for vehicular homicide.
- Detectives are conducting impairment testing, pursuing a search warrant for the vehicle, reviewing surveillance and 911 call records that reported erratic and wrong‑way driving beforehand, and coordinating with the State Attorney to determine charges.
- The Dunlawton ramp remains closed and family and community members have gathered to mourn Baker, and the case is raising questions about roadside safety for toll and beach workers and possible legal changes that could follow.