Background: The Publix location in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Darrell Briggs (Pinellas County Jail).

The collision took place around 5 p.m. on a Friday at a Publix grocery store, where Briggs, driving through the parking lot, reportedly hit 91-year-old Mary Broughton. Instead of stopping, Briggs allegedly continued driving, departing the scene and returning to his apartment. Tragically, Broughton succumbed to her injuries after being transported to a hospital.

St. Petersburg Police Department officers tracked Briggs to his residence, where they discovered the vehicle involved in the incident. As per court documents obtained by local news outlets, Briggs admitted to police that he was aware of having hit “something” in the parking lot. Despite this awareness, he allegedly chose to drive home rather than stopping to assess the situation.

This incident has sparked discussions about accountability and the responsibilities of drivers in accident scenarios, particularly involving vulnerable individuals like the elderly. As the case proceeds, it serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of fleeing the scene of an accident.

After officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department tracked Briggs down at his apartment, where they located the vehicle that was allegedly seen at the crash site, they placed him under arrest. According to court documents obtained by WFLA, Briggs told officers that he knew he had hit “something” in the parking lot, but he allegedly chose to drive away instead of stopping.

Briggs was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on one count of leaving the scene of a crash causing death, a felony. He posted $50,000 bond and was released on Sunday. His next court date was not made publicly available.

St. Petersburg police said that they are continuing to investigate the incident.