Manatee County man arrested in hit-and-run crash that killed an 81-year-old woman: police

Sarasota officers arrested a man on Wednesday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed an 81-year-old woman in February.

Devan Carroll, 35, faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, a first-degree felony. Pamela Jean Etsinger had just been celebrating her birthday at the Sarasota Opera House with a showing of "Carmen" on February 29 when she was struck by a silver Ford F-150 while crossing the street using a crosswalk at 11:30 p.m.

Surveillance footage showed Carroll fleeing the scene, while Etsinger died at the site of the crash. The truck involved in the crash was located and seized from a residence in Palmetto just 18 hours after the crash by Manatee County Sheriff's deputies. Investigators later confirmed that Carroll had been driving the car that evening, as he was pulled over by deputies hours before the incident in an unrelated traffic stop.

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Etsinger had an extensive journalism career and worked at the the Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Associated Press, Brazil Herald and other media. She volunteered tens of thousands of hours between the Ringling Museum where she was a docent, Selby Gardens, Our Daily Bread food pantry, Family Promise and others. She also founded a nonprofit travel group that explored art and culture through museums around the United States.

"Jean touched the lives of many people, and she will be truly missed by all who knew her," Etsinger's obituary said.

Camera footage from 129 N. Pineapple Ave. captured Etsinger crossing 2nd Street northbound within a marked crosswalk. She then proceeded to cross Cocoanut Avenue Westbound through another a marked crosswalk. Camera footage showed that she had a hand signal indicating not to cross. As she proceeded to walk westbound across Cocoanut Avenue, Carroll began to turn slightly right to travel north on Cocoanut Avenue. Surveillance footage showed that Carroll applied the brakes and swerved left, striking the curb. The driver’s side of the truck moved in an upward motion as it struck Etsinger.

After the crash, Carroll went to his father’s house at 1:06 a.m., nearly two hours after the crash. Investigators later learned that Carroll’s father was a retired Florida Highway Patrol Trooper who was also a member of the Traffic Homicide team. The day after the crash Carroll had a 22-minute call with his father.

“Darrell [Carroll’s father] has professional training and experience investigating these types of crimes and would have knowledge of the seriousness of this offence,” investigators write in the arrest affidavit.

Carroll will be extradited to the Sarasota County Jail

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County man arrested in hit-and-run crash that killed an 81-year-old woman: police