Two-Year-Old Toddler Injured During Daytona Beach Hit-and-Run Crash

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 22, 2023

Only a few hours after the incident occurred, a 23-year-old relative of the local mayor was taken into custody for charges related to a hit-and-run accident that severely injured a toddler yesterday in Daytona Beach.

According to preliminary auto accident reports from the Daytona Beach Police Department, it was shortly after 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, when two-year-old Elaya Richardson was walking with her father across the street to a car parked near a residence located along the 800th block of Forest Lane. At this same time, 23-year-old Kenyatta Henry approached the area while driving a black Dodge Charger heading north toward Mason Avenue.

Witness statements retrieved from the hit-and-run crash site indicate that several attempts to get Henry’s attention failed and the Dodge Charger struck the young child, then fled the scene. “I told him to stop, tried to slow him down, flag him down. He didn’t pay me no attention. He hit her,” said Charlie Collins, the victim’s uncle who watched in horror as the entire scenario played out right in front of him.

Authorities with the Daytona Beach Police Department were dispatched to the scene of the accident and emergency responders quickly transported the two-year-old to Halifax Health Medical Center in stable condition. From there, she was medevaced to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando to receive treatment for a skull fracture.

Right before 4:00 p.m., officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to 9-1-1 calls regarding a yet-to-be-determined “disturbance related to the hit-and-run” at the 500th block of Fulton Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered the black Dodge Charger and 23-year-old Kenyatta Henry at the home. He was arrested, charged with hit-and-run resulting in serious bodily injury, and booked into jail.

Although their exact relationship is unknown at this time, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry issued a press release after being informed of Kenyatta Henry’s arrest:

“My entire family’s thoughts and prayers are with the child and her family during this difficult time, and I am hopeful for her quick and complete recovery. I believe that it is imperative that we prioritize the well-being of the child, and I trust that the legal proceedings will be conducted with full transparency and impartiality.”

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.