Neighbors said the quiet SE El Sito Court block was blocked for hours as troopers investigated.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A fatal driveway crash Sunday morning drew state troopers, crime tape and stunned neighbors to SE El Sito Court after a 78-year-old woman was struck by a rolling SUV.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the woman was beside a parked Lincoln MKX in a residential driveway when the SUV unexpectedly rolled backward. The open driver’s door struck her and knocked her down. She later died at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute.
The crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. Troopers said the woman’s 59-year-old son was seated in the front passenger seat. He started the SUV by reaching over the center console, pressing the brake pedal with his left hand and pushing the start button with his right hand.
Investigators have not said why the vehicle moved. They photographed the SUV, reviewed the driveway scene and had the vehicle towed as evidence around 4 p.m. The woman’s name had not been released Monday, and troopers said the investigation was continuing.
Neighbors said the scene was hard to understand on a normally quiet street. “It’s kind of crazy to see all this going on driving home from work,” neighbor Zackary Brunner said. Roxana Hodge said she returned to find more troopers, blocked streets and crime tape.
Hodge said the family seemed private and kind. “They kept to themselves. They were pretty quiet,” she said. She said she hoped the family could find peace after the sudden loss.
No charges had been filed as of Monday. Troopers said the traffic homicide investigation will determine the sequence of events, including why the Lincoln MKX rolled backward while it was in the driveway.
Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.