LAKE MARY, Fla. – A vehicle wanted in connection with a fatal Lake Mary hit-and-run that killed a Sanford mother has been located, police said Friday.
“We have recovered the white Ford F-150. That vehicle is in our possession. And we are processing that as we speak,” said Officer Zach Hudson, public information officer for the Lake Mary Police Department.
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Lake Mary police also said they have identified a person of interest in the case but have not released that person’s name or their relationship to the victim. However, Hudson did confirm that the victim and the person of interest knew each other and that the person was also from Sanford.
Investigators said they have spoken with the person of interest several times but added that they are “not being terribly cooperative.”
The “suspicious” crash took place late Monday in a parking lot near Country Club Road and Lake Mary Avenue, according to police, who identified the victim as Katrina Redden. Police said detectives are investigating whether the driver intentionally struck Redden, who was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, where she died.
After the crash, Lake Mary police said officers were searching for a white extended cab Ford F-150, likely a 1998-2004 model, that has front-end damage. The truck was discovered abandoned on the side of the road near the intersection of State Road 417 and State Road 408, which is to the west of Valencia College’s East Campus.
While the circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear, police said there is a high likelihood that Redden was in the truck that struck her prior to the collision.
Redden’s son, Donta Whack Jr., attends Seminole High School, where he also plays football.
“Our hearts break for Donta, his sister, and the entire family. The frequency of hardships some of our students have to endure would be unimaginable to many. I am exceedingly confident that the Sanford community, Seminole High family and our football program will once again answer the call of duty and do all we can to lift Donta and his family up and support them with every fiber of our being,” Seminole High School Principal Dr. Jordan Rodriguez said.