DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida woman is behind bars after allegedly running through a beach tollbooth with her car, killing the person inside.
Bodycam video shows Deanna Harrell being taken into custody on June 1, 2026. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
Deanna Harrell, 35, is charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter in the death of Tammie Jo Baker, who was killed less than two weeks before her 63rd birthday.
Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood told reporters that Harrell had been working at Boogie Down, a golf cart and bicycle rental shop, on the morning of Monday when her boss sent her home early due to slow sales and a forecast of inclement weather. After leaving work, Harrell allegedly went to the Metz II lounge, where she reportedly had two rum and Coke cocktails and part of a shot over the course of an hour.
At 12:29 p.m., the first 911 call came in from a couple reporting that a drunk driver ran over a mailbox, hit a trash can and drove the wrong way against traffic, nearly hitting their vehicle. A second 911 caller said, “She was heading straight for us,” as they described the blonde driver of a Chevy truck as being “all over the road.”
Harrell’s vehicle allegedly slammed into a tollbooth at the Dunlawton Avenue beach approach at 12:38 p.m. — seconds after the victim had gone inside. “Our victim, Tammie Jo Baker, entered that booth at 12:38:05,” Chitwood said. “At 12:40, she’s dead.”
A tollbooth is seen on its side after a crash on the beach. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
Lifeguards raced to help the victim, to no avail. “I think she was close to probably being killed on impact,” Chitwood said at a press conference Monday. “I mean, that booth isn’t made of anything.”
Chitwood said that he estimated Harrell was driving around 40 mph when she hit the booth; after, he said, she tried to get away by driving toward the ocean before her vehicle got stuck in the sand. At the scene, Chitwood said he could smell alcohol in the truck and on the suspect’s breath.
Body camera video from officers who responded to the scene shows Harrell being taken into custody. While she appeared cooperative with officers, she shouted at a bystander, “Can you please not record this?” as she was led into a waiting vehicle.
In an interview with officers, Harrell allegedly admitted to pouring out a portion of a bottle of Gatorade, filling it with vodka and drinking it before the crash. She also reportedly told officers she wanted to take her own life, which led to her being hospitalized before she was taken to jail.
Harrell was formally arrested on Wednesday morning after her release from mental health treatment. She is scheduled to have her first appearance in court on Thursday afternoon.
