NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Police arrested a 31-year-old woman in connection to a hit-and-run crash in New Port Richey last Wednesday that left a 16-year-old in the hospital, where he remains nearly a week later.
According to the New Port Richey Police Department, officers arrested Myeasha Monique White on Sunday.
"The damage to her vehicle was consistent with the accident," the department said Tuesday. Investigators had been on the hunt for a four-door Kia Forte with a missing driver-side mirror since the crash. A tip from someone in the community is being credited for White's arrest.
It happened just after 10 p.m. at Madison Street and Illinois Avenue. The boy who was hit was rushed to Bayonet Point Hospital as a trauma alert patient with "traumatic injuries to his lower body."
After being admitted to the hospital, police said the boy's condition had improved. However, on Tuesday, the department revealed that his condition was updated to "critical."
White is now facing charges of failure to stop or remain at a crash involving serious injuries, according to a release from the police department. Further charges could be pending.
An investigation into the crash, which is now said to include Child Protective Services, remains ongoing.
This incident is among the latest hit-and-run crashes that state law enforcement and safety officials are calling a "disturbing trend."
2023 saw more than 100,000 hit-and-run crashes, including 262 cases where people lost their lives, according to preliminary data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle's crash dashboard. The majority of crashes only resulted in property damage.