A UF student was hit and killed by a truck at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday while walking on the sidewalk along Southwest 34th Street.
The driver, 19-year-old James O’Reilly, drove off after hitting the student on the 3600 block of Southwest 34th Street.
“Good Samaritans provided CPR to the victim until EMS arrived,” the Gainesville Police Department press release said.
The student had traumatic injuries and was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital. The student was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Shortly after the crash, O’Reilly and his car were found. He was charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI with damage to a person or property and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death or personal injury.
O’Reilly is currently being held at the Alachua County Jail with a $320,000 bond.
A second hit and run an hour before hospitalized a female UF student after a truck collided with her scooter on West University Avenue. Fatalities involving UF students — Maggie Paxton, Sophia Lambert and Denise Griffiths — grows with the hit-and-run Thursday evening.
The identity of the victim has not been released yet.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Troy is the criminal justice reporter and a fourth-year journalism major with an outside focus in business administration. He previously studied accounting for two years at Santa Fe College but has since transferred to UFCJC. When Troy isn’t writing, he enjoys going to the beach and spending time with his dog, identical twin brother and family.
