A Florida woman allegedly hit a pedestrian while driving toward work in the early morning hours — killing her — and fleeing the scene.

On August 18, Aliya Cruz, aged 24, was involved in a fatal incident where she hit and killed 27-year-old Danielle Stilwell, as reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in a statement. The authorities received a call just before 4 a.m. that day about a woman lying in the middle of West Highland Street in Lakeland, approximately 35 miles from Tampa.

Upon arrival, first responders discovered Stilwell had died on the road. Evidence at the scene indicated vehicle involvement, including broken car parts, though no vehicle was present. These remnants were identified as the front driver’s side fender liner and a segment of the front bumper.

Nearby gas station surveillance footage captured Cruz’s vehicle “heading westbound away from the crash site on W. Highland. After turning right at a red light to go north on Wabash, it executed a U-turn to proceed south, then made another right to travel westbound on W. Highland St. The vehicle left the scene without stopping, rendering aid, or seeking help.”

Cruz’s car was subsequently found parked in a driveway on West Highland Street. It was missing a piece of the driver’s side bumper and the front left fender liner, details that matched the debris left at the crash site, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators confirmed the car was owned by Cruz.

When questioned, Cruz informed detectives that she left her house at approximately 3:50 a.m. to head to her job at a Publix warehouse, aiming to arrive by 4 a.m. Her usual route to work involved traveling west on West Highland Street, as per the press release.

“She explained to detectives that while driving, a truck with high beam lights impaired her vision from the opposite direction,” the statement from the sheriff’s office described. “After the truck turned right, she noticed a woman lying on the road ahead with her hands covering her face. She claimed she swerved right to avoid hitting the woman, veering into the grass. She thought she might not have hit the individual but wasn’t sure. Wanting to avoid being late, she mentioned making a right turn at the light, performing a U-turn, and returning to W. Highland St. to go to work.”

After arriving at work, Cruz reportedly told one of her supervisors that she had “possibly killed someone,” the statement said. Cruz even reportedly showed her supervisor pictures of the damage to her car, and her supervisor responded by urging her to call police and report the incident.

“I don’t really want to say anything,” Cruz reportedly said. She allegedly made additional statements, including “Well uhm, I know I didn’t hit them,” “I don’t think I hit the person,” and “I know I swerved,” the statement noted.

It is unclear from the surveillance video, which was reviewed by Law&Crime, whether a truck was heading eastbound prior to Cruz turning right and making a U-turn.

“[T]here isn’t anything [on the video] to corroborate her story,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office told Law&Crime in an email.

According to the sheriff’s office, in a second interview with Cruz on Friday, she said she told her boss “she was worried because she was unsure if she struck the person or not.”

She reportedly asked her boss what she should do.

“He said that she should have stopped and that she should notify the police,” the sheriff’s statement said.

Court records did not reflect the pending charges against Cruz, who appears to have a history of traffic infractions in the county, including speeding and failure to stop at a stop sign.