Lakeland Woman Arrested in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash

Aliya Cruz / PCSO

By Ciara Perez | Investigative Journalist | (ISC News)

Published: August 23, 2025

_____

LAKELAND, FL — A 24-year-old Lakeland woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a pedestrian on West Highland Street earlier this week.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), Aliya Cruz, of West Highland Street, was taken into custody on August 22, 2025, four days after allegedly striking Danielle Stilwell, 27, and fleeing the scene.

🕓 Timeline of the Incident

Just before 4:00 a.m. on Monday, August 18, PCSO’s Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a woman lying in the roadway. First responders arrived to find Stilwell deceased, with broken vehicle parts scattered nearby—including a front bumper fragment and a driver’s side fender liner.

Investigators traced the parts to a 2019–2022 Kia Forte and began canvassing the area for surveillance footage. Video from a nearby Sunoco station showed a black sedan leaving the scene, making a series of turns before continuing westbound on W. Highland Street without stopping or calling for help.

🚗 Vehicle Match & Arrest

Deputies cross-referenced registered Kia Fortes in Polk County and located a damaged black Kia parked at Cruz’s residence. The vehicle was missing the same parts found at the crash site.

Cruz admitted to detectives that she drove the route daily to her job at the Publix warehouse and had left for work around 3:50 a.m. that morning. She claimed her vision was impaired by an oncoming truck’s high beams and saw a woman lying in the road. Cruz said she swerved but wasn’t sure if she made contact. She continued to work, later telling her supervisor she may have “possibly killed someone” and showed him photos of her damaged car.

📸 Evidence & Charges

Security footage and badge access logs confirmed Cruz’s arrival at work. During a follow-up interview, she reiterated her uncertainty and said she had asked her supervisor what to do. He advised her to contact law enforcement.

Cruz was arrested and charged with Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Death (F1).

👮 Sheriff’s Statement

“My Traffic Homicide detectives are the very best in the business,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
“They meticulously work around the clock when conducting fatal crash investigations, especially those that involve suspects who flee the scene. They treat each victim as if he or she were their own family member. I'm very proud of them for solving this case.”

📍 Ongoing Investigation

PCSO continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. No additional charges have been announced at this time.

_____

______