DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — To her cousin, Amanda Hendricksen was Mandy: creative, funny and someone whose nacho recipe remains part of family life decades later.
Now, Samantha Kenyon is holding onto those memories while asking for help finding the driver who struck and killed her cousin Saturday near LPGA Boulevard and Jimmy Ann Drive.
Speaking exclusively with Channel 9’s Demie Johnson, Kenyon remembered someone who always knew how to make people laugh.
“Never a dull moment. She was always creative and fun, and to this day, her recipe for nachos is something that I do,” Kenyon said.
Police are still searching for the driver. As Channel 9 previously reported, investigators released video showing the suspected vehicle’s last known location just after the crash.
Remembering Mandy
Kenyon said she and Mandy were close and lived together as roommates in 2000.
More recently, Mandy had fallen on hard times and was staying in different places while trying to get back on her feet, Kenyon said.
Her cousin wants people to remember that Mandy deserved the chance to rebuild her life.
“She’s still a human that was living her life, maybe not in the way ideally for some people, but there’s always the chance for someone to turn it around, and she doesn’t have that chance now,” Kenyon said.
Family seeks answers
Daytona Beach police shared surveillance footage with Channel 9 showing a car traveling through LPGA Boulevard and Derbyshire Road just after the crash. Sparks can be seen coming from one of its front tires.
Police say separate video, which they have not released, shows the car striking Mandy while traveling eastbound. Investigators say the driver then circled around her body before continuing westbound on LPGA Boulevard.
Kenyon said she cannot understand how someone could leave another person behind after a crash.
“I could never fathom that thought. I don’t know, because that’s not something I could ever imagine doing,” she said.
Police looking for damaged sedan
Investigators describe the vehicle as a dark-colored sedan with heavy front-end damage on the passenger side.
Police are seeking additional surveillance footage and asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about the vehicle to contact Daytona Beach police.
Kenyon hopes someone will speak up and help her family get answers.
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