MIAMI – Police arrested a driver who investigators say was drunk when he hit a woman with his truck and drove away.
The crash happened at Northwest 12th Avenue and 61st Street about 7 p.m. Monday.
Marty Howard hit the woman, identified by relatives as 78-year-old Fannie Ash, as she crossed 12th Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. Relatives told police that she was walking to church at the time.
Ash was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she died.
"It's hard for all of us because she's the rock of the family," said her daughter-in-law, Roketa Mansfield. "We're really hurting."
"We miss you, we love you, we need you here," added her nephew, Maurice Jones.
"It's an awful thing that happened," said Pastor Douglas Cook with Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church. "He took one of my fine members from me."
Howard, 55, drove home and told his son and stepdaughter what happened, and they drove him back to where the crash happened, according to the arrest affidavit. When Howard returned, he told an officer, "Let me tell you something. I'm the one that was driving. I hit somebody."
Howard said that Ash jumped out of nowhere, according to the arrest affidavit. He told officers he saw people coming out of the apartment with guns so he drove away.
A witness who was riding in the passenger seat of Howard's truck said he fell asleep and woke up to a jolt but wasn't sure what happened, police say.
Officers reported that Howard had blood shot eyes, slurred speech, and his breath smelled like alcohol. He told officers he had drank a few beers and agreed to provide a blood samples, which were submitted for toxicology results.
Howard failed a field sobriety test, police say. He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and DUI manslaughter.
Howard was out on bond for a burglary arrest in 2012. Court records show arrests dating back to 1977.
A woman told Local 10 he doesn't live at the address listed on his license. The address listed for him on the arrest affidavit doesn't exist.
"He should've been off the streets a long time ago," said Jones.