Woman accused in deadly 2023 hit-and-run crash in Melbourne appears in court | FOX 51 Gainesville
Expand / Collapse search
☰

Woman accused in deadly 2023 hit-and-run crash in Melbourne appears in court

By
Published  June 19, 2025 6:40pm EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando
Woman accused in deadly 2023 hit-and-run crash in court

Woman accused in deadly 2023 hit-and-run crash in court

A woman accused of hitting and killing a man in a downtown Melbourne crosswalk on Christmas night in 2023 and then fleeing the scene appeared before a Brevard County judge this week, 18 months after the deadly crash.

The Brief

    • Police arrested a woman for a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened on Christmas, 2023.
    • Drew Sofranko, 23, was killed in the crash.
    • A judge gave 26-year-old Tekayiaha Hardy a $100,000 bond.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - A woman accused of fatally striking a pedestrian on Christmas night in 2023 and fleeing the scene appeared before a judge Wednesday in Brevard County after spending 18 months evading law enforcement.

Suspect arrested on DNA evidence, witness accounts

The backstory:

Melbourne Police say 23-year-old Drew Sofranko was crossing the street when he was hit-and-killed by a driver who took off. He was in a crosswalk, but did not have the signal to cross the road. Sofranko’s family had spent the past year and a half pleading with the driver to turn themselves in. 

Now, 26-year-old Tekayiaha Hardy is being held in jail on a $100,000 bond.

Timeline:

It took until late January to get a warrant to go over the phone records. The report on the phone analysis didn’t come back until May. Detectives also went over Hardy’s mother’s cell phone records to make sure she wasn’t the one behind the wheel.

Some DNA reports came back in August. A warrant for more DNA swabs came back in September, but officers weren’t able to serve it after numerous attempts.

‘Let the legal system do the right’

What they're saying:

Francisco Gaughan witnessed the crash. The police report on Hardy’s arrest mentions him describing the scene. He told FOX 35 the impact was loud.

"The driver, I mean, they took off," Gaughan recalled. "They were flying."

Allison Lawson was there too.

"It's just crazy that also that she was able to go on with her life for that long and not like live with I couldn't live with that guilt," she said.

The witnesses FOX 35 spoke with say they’re happier knowing Drew Sofranko’s family might finally see some peace.

However, Drew’s father, Doug Sofranko, told FOX 35 he isn’t there quite yet.

"You’re not supposed to hate people, and maybe in time that will pass. But right now, just hatred. Hatred, hatred," said Sofranko. "I’ll just let justice and let the legal system do the right thing for her."

What's next:

Hardy is scheduled to return to court on July 17. If released, she will be prohibited from driving with a suspended license.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35's Marie Edinger attended Tekayiaha Hardy's first appearance at the Brevard County Jail. She reviewed Hardy's arrest affidavit and warrant for her arrest. Edinger reached out to the four crash witnesses listed in the arrest report and spoke with three of them. She also reached out to Hardy's mother, grandmother, and the father of her child, who are all mentioned in the police report. FOX 35's Hannah McKenzie has previously spoken with Drew Sofranko's father, Doug.

Brevard CountyMelbourneCrime and Public SafetyNews