A Florida hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk went unsolved for almost a month until license plate reader technology helped investigators track down the driver responsible. She’s now facing extradition and a serious charge tied to the crash.
According to FOX 13 Tampa, the crash happened around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, when a red Kia Forte was driving south on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South near 15th Avenue South.
Police identified 28-year-old Ashleigh Az’Janae Zinn as the driver who struck 47-year-old Kendra Dillard, who was walking inside a marked crosswalk at the time.
Rather than stopping to help or call 911, police say Zinn fled the scene. Paramedics took Dillard to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
Flock Cameras Helped Find Her
Investigators said Zinn was identified using Flock camera technology, which ultimately led them to obtain a warrant for her arrest.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Zinn on Thursday, Sept. 3. She’s now awaiting extradition to Pinellas County, where she faces a charge of failure to stop or remain at a crash involving death.
The Crash Led to People Wanting Change
Dillard’s death only added to a list of tragedies on this road. Justin Cournoyer, co-founder of Activate St. Pete, said the southern portion of MLK Street has several safety challenges, including higher speed limits, limited crosswalks, and a lack of signs and traffic signals, FOX 13 Tampa reported. Five people have died along MLK Street South between 2022 and summer 2026, including Dillard and 29-year-old Tamara Williams, a mother of five who was struck near a gas station along that road just months earlier.
Forward Pinellas has a corridor redesign in the works between 7th Avenue and 30th Avenue, though the project currently has no funding attached. Neighbors have since tied silver balloons to a utility pole near the intersection where Dillard was killed.
The Arrest Had People Debating
The case reignited an ongoing debate over Flock cameras and how much of a role they actually played. One commenter argued the cameras clearly did their job, pointing out that Zinn was identified and arrested because of them and adding that phones and other devices already track people constantly, so opposing traffic cameras specifically didn’t add up if someone has nothing to hide.
Other commenters were split on how much credit the technology deserved versus traditional investigative work. One argued that good old-fashioned police work still closes most cases, while another pushed back directly, saying investigators likely would have caught Zinn even without the Flock camera.