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Sarasota woman arrested in hit-and-run that killed 2 kids, left mother in coma faces judge

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Published  March 4, 2025 5:51pm EST
Sarasota
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • The 72-year-old woman accused in the Sarasota hit-and-run crash that killed two young children and critically injured their mother faced a judge.
    • Two young boys were killed on February 10, and now, their mother remains in a coma.
    • The woman's defense attorney said she thought she hit a dog when the crash happened along North Washington Boulevard.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The 72-year-old woman accused in the Sarasota hit-and-run crash that killed two young children and critically injured their mother faced a judge on Tuesday – hours after she was arrested. 

Local perspective:

A memorial now marks the spot where the deadly crash happened off of North Washington Boulevard. The family of all three victims is left wondering why it happened. 

RELATED: Woman arrested in Sarasota hit-and-run crash that killed 2 kids, critically injured mother: Police

"How can anybody do something like that? How can somebody do anything like that? That's all I can say," said Candice McCormick, the great-grandmother of the two kids killed in the crash. 

The backstory:

The two boys, 2-year-old Rio and 5-month-old Kiylan, were killed on February 10 as their mother, 29-year-old Taeler Bennett, was crossing the road with her family. McCormick rushed down from Ohio to help the children’s father, Donzel Galliher, after receiving the news. 

"They need a lot of support. That’s why I’m here. Just to help out," said McCormick. 

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As of Tuesday, Bennett remains in a coma as the woman, 72-year-old June Fenton, arrested for the crash, sat behind bars waiting for her first appearance. 

"Same age as I am. I don’t know how she could do something like that," said McCormick. "I’m 73, and I could have never of done that, even to a dog. I can’t comprehend it at all."

Pictured: June Fenton. 

What they're saying:

Fenton didn't show much expression during her appearance in court. The State Attorney’s office said the retired hospice worker was out feeding stray cats, and they said she was behind the wheel of the Lexus that hit Bennett and her two young sons. 

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"Taeler is unfortunately struck and hit. She lands on top of Ms. Fenton’s hood and is thrown into Ms. Fenton’s windshield, causing it to shatter," said Assistant State Attorney Josha Wertheim. 

The other side:

Fenton’s defense attorney, Derek Byrd, said she thought she hit a dog. 

"Clearly she had no idea. She cooperated with law enforcement," he said. 

MORE: 2-year old, 5-month-old killed in Sarasota hit-and-run, mother critically injured

The State Attorney’s Office said Fenton turned around and drove back by the scene of the crash, but as Bennett and her boys laid in the middle of the road, she continued on. 

"How dare you take my grandkids away from me and everybody in our family," said McCormick. 

What's next:

Fenton was arrested on two counts of leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in a fatality and one count of leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in serious injury. 

The judge set Fenton’s bond at $650,000. If she does bail out, she will not be allowed to drive and will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered during June Fenton's first court appearance on Tuesday. It also contains statements from the victims' family as well as previous reports from FOX 13 News. 

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