- June 2, 2026
A 35-year-old Ormond Beach woman was taken into custody under Florida's Baker Act by the Volusia Sheriff's Office after she crashed into a beach ramp toll booth in Daytona Beach Shores on Monday, June 1, killing the 63-year-old toll attendant inside.
VSO reported that Deana Harrell is being investigated for a traffic homicide and is suspected of drunk driving at the time of the fatal incident at the Dunlawton beach access ramp. In a statement on Monday, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Harrell is believed to have been driving at 40 miles per hour when she crashed her pickup head-on into the toll booth at around 12:40 p.m. The toll attendant — Tammy Jo Baker, of Daytona Beach — was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I don't know how you even put this into words, it's so senseless," Chitwood said. "There was somebody doing their job. Tammy Jo was a longtime county employee. She recently switched over when the toll takers went over to a private company. She went over with them. I mean, who would think when you're standing up here that my life is going to end by a drunk driver on the beach approach?"
After striking the toll booth, VSO reported that Harrell continued driving onto the beach and got stuck in the sand while attempting to head southbound. Preliminary reports indicate she had been driving eastbound on Dunlawton Avenue when she drove across the intersection at A1A and crashed into the toll booth.
