Amazon® Delivery Driver Hits Mother and Baby, Flees Scene

An Amazon^® delivery driver was allegedly involved in an Aug. 22, 2024 hit-and-run that left a mother and 4-month-old son in the hospital. Miami-Dade police arrested Sarahy Naybeth Para-Ovalles the next day on two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with a bodily injury.

Driver’s Actions and Witness Testimonies

Para-Ovalles, 45, was driving a 2022 Hyundai SUV to the gates of the Aventura Isles Estates neighborhood of Miami on Aug. 22. She identified herself as an Amazon delivery driver and was captured on camera wearing a blue Amazon vest, making her rounds, and delivering packages to homes in the community.

At about 8:30 a.m. a mother and her son were crossing the street while walking their dog when Para-Ovalles turned left sharply. The woman and child had already made it more than halfway through the intersection when Para-Ovalles began turning.

Neighbors who witnessed the accident alleged that Para-Ovalles was speeding and had made a dangerously sharp left turn into the wrong lane before striking the victims. The stroller was knocked to the ground and the mother was thrown onto the car and then back onto the pavement according to witnesses. Video footage from a neighbor’s camera shows Para-Ovalles getting out of the SUV, setting the stroller upright, placing the child back inside, and fleeing the scene, leaving the stroller in the middle of the road.

Immediate Aftermath and Emergency Response

The mother suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed. Witnesses called 911, and a neighbor that works as a registered nurse provided first aid while waiting for first responders. The mother and her son were taken to the Memorial Regional. The baby did not suffer any severe injuries besides a small bump on his head.

Police Investigation and Arrest

When Para-Ovalles entered the gated community, she identified herself to security and photos were taken of her license plate and driver’s license, as is standard procedure. Police were easily able to identify Para-Ovalles after the incident and she was arrested the next day. Amazon released a statement saying that she was no longer driving deliveries for the company and that their thoughts were with the victims of the accident.

According to Florida law it is a felony if a driver, “involved in a crash occurring on public or private property which results in serious bodily injury to a person” does not “immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash” and “remain at the scene of the crash” until they fulfil their duty to “give information and render aid.”

References: ‘She kept delivering the packages for Amazon’: Mom with baby in stroller allegedly ‘dragged’ by SUV driver who set carriage upright and walked away | Amazon delivery driver arrested, charged in Miami-Dade hit-and-run that left woman, 4-month-old son hospitalized | Amazon responds to driver’s arrest for hit-and-run crash injuring baby, mother in Miami-Dade