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Daytona Beach police arrest suspected driver in fatal hit & run

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach police say they’ve found the driver who hit and killed a 24-year-old man Wednesday before leaving the crash scene.

Officers said they were called to the area of South Nova Road and Bellevue Avenue just before 11 p.m. for reports of a person hit by a car.

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They arrived to find 24-year-old Q’ueshawn Emmanual Jones lying by the side of the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police initially said they believed Jones had been crossing Bellevue Avenue when he was hit by a passing car.

The next day, deputies released images of a potential suspect vehicle and two people believed to be involved in the crash in an attempt to identify them.

Police announced Friday they’d identified and arrested the suspected driver, 49-year-old Gerald Thomas.

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According to his arrest report, a witness called police to identify him as one of the people involved in the crash and even described seeing Thomas’ gray BMW in his backyard with damage to the hood, front bumper and windshield.

When police responded to Thomas’ home to seize the car, they noted the front was covered with a blanket, hiding the damage.

They also noted the tag had been removed and the VIN number on the dashboard was blocked from view.

Investigators say Thomas voluntarily went to the police department Friday to talk to them about the case.

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Exactly what Thomas told police was redacted from the report, but it says he was arrested immediately after the interview.

Thomas was booked into the Volusia County Jail Friday on a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He’s being held on $5,000 bond.

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