Ormond Beach, FL - A 24-year-old South Daytona man is charged in a fatal accident that took the life of a 73-year-old Daytona Beach woman. Ormond Beach Police say Mary Spanos had just turned into the northbound lanes of Nova Road from Shadow Lakes Boulevard when her Cadillac SUV was hit by a 2010 Camaro driven by 24-year-old Erik Worthington of South Daytona.
The force of the collision caused the SUV to flip onto it's roof. Worthington's vehicle swerved to avoid Spanos SUV and continued on without stopping. Police and witnesses say another car was racing Worthington.
Spanos died at the hospital with family members at her side. Worthington is charged with reckless driving with damage to a person or property and racing on the highway, first offense. His bail was set at $1500 and he has already bonded out. Ormond Beach Police Public Information Officer Keith Walker said additional charges are pending.
This is the fourth fatal traffic accident in Ormond Beach this month. Chief of Police Jesse Godfrey is calling for increased vigilance while driving and emphasizing that these tragedies cannot be ignored.
“The loss of one life is too many,” said Police Chief Godfrey. “These recent incidents cannot be overlooked or disregarded as the norm.”
The OBPD has made efforts to increase traffic safety and education. They also have sign boards, speed trailers, and radar enforcement. There is still worry that people are not observing these properly, according to Godfrey.
“We drive by these every day and we hope that they will serve as a reminder to pay attention to them,” said Police Chief Godfrey. “They have all been put there for a reason and following them will help keep our residents safe so we do not have incidents like this in the future.”
“An average of 300 people are killed every year in the state of Florida due to speeding,” said Police Chief Godfrey. “No matter how eager you are to get to your destination, speeding and driving aggressively is dangerous.”
