Woman Accused Of Fatal Brickell Hit & Run Surrenders To Police
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A woman accused of being behind the wheel in a deadly hit and run in Miami turned herself into police Tuesday morning.
Joy Terry Lee Clayton did not say a word as she and her attorney walked into a Miami Police substation despite pressing questions from reporters.
The victim's family was not present, but her sister had a question for Clayton as well.
"All these months we wondered, how is it that the person can live with herself knowing that she caused an accident, she caused a death," Adriana Mares asked.
"When we had enough to arrest her, she did surrender herself," said Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes.
It's quite a relief to the family of victim Anna Mares who was walking in Brickell on Friday March 22nd when she was struck and killed.
Police located the 2010 black Mazda G3 involved in the hit and run after the crash, with a dented hood, shattered windshield, and a mirror hanging by a wire.
According to a search warrant, the car belonged to Joy Terry Lee Clayton, but it wasn't clear if she was driving it at the time of the crash.
Police couldn't prove she was behind the wheel until recently.
"There was a witness that was able to put Joy Clayton behind that wheel," stated Officer Reyes.
Her sister Adriana said Anna had beaten breast cancer and was devastated by the way she died.
"She wanted to live her life, she wanted to enjoy her life," Adriana Mares told CBS 4's Lauren Pastrana. "My sister is not here. It's a life that was lost. The person responsible should face whatever consequences are attached to that."
Adriana Mares and Joy Clayton both work at the University of Miami.
Despite their professional proximity, Mares said she has never spoken to Clayton, and insists she has nothing to say to her now.
"At this point, anything that I would want to say it's not going to change the outcome," mares explained.
After spending only a few minutes with detectives, Clayton walked out of the Miami Police substation escorted by a police officer who took her to jail to be booked.
Clayton did not give a statement to police, but despite the lack of a confession, police said the witness accounts, and evidence from the car are enough to charge Clayton with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Clayton was released from jail on bond Tuesday afternoon.
