Woman arrested after leaving scene of deadly crash in Lakeland: PCSO

LAKELAND, Fla. - A 24-year-old woman has been arrested and charged after she allegedly drove off after hitting and killing a pedestrian in Lakeland on W Highland Street.

On August 18, investigators responded to a woman who was lying in the street next to broken car parts, but no car was found at the scene.

The victim, 27-year-old Danielle Stilwell, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The backstory:

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office later learned that car parts at the scene belonged to a 2019 to 2022 Kia Forte.

After reviewing an extensive list of similar cars, deputies located a black Kia which was missing part of the driver’s side bumper and the front left wheel fender liner, consistent with the parts left behind at the scene. 

It was later determined that Aliya Cruz is the owner and sole driver of the Kia Forte.

Cruz told detectives that a truck approached her from the opposite direction with high-beam lights on, impairing her vision. After seeing a woman lying on the roadway in front of her with her hands over her face, she told detectives that she swerved right to avoid the woman, and went off the road into the grass. 

She said she believed that she did not hit the person, but she was not sure. She said she turned right at the light, then made a U-turn in the middle of the road, and went back to W Highland St. to head to work because she did not want to be late to work.

After talking with one of her work supervisors, who said Cruz told him she had "possibly killed someone." She showed him photos of the damage to her car. He advised her to call the police and report it. She made other statements such as, "I don't really want to say anything," "Well uhm, I know I didn't hit them," "I don't think I hit the person," and "I know I swerved."

Cruz has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

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