CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – State troopers armed with a search warrant found a car suspected of rear-ending a woman on a scooter early Saturday morning and leaving the scene.
While the Florida Highway Patrol said the Suzuki 50cc scooter was struck on Sandridge Road at 2:20 a.m., the victim, Dayna Cogliser, of Orange Park, was found a few minutes later on U.S. 17 on Fleming Island -- 8 miles away.
Cogliser (pictured, left) was taken to Orange Park Medical Center, where she died. She was 45 years old.
According to the FHP, the owner of a Clay County home where troopers believed the car involved might be refused to cooperate.
On Sunday, the FHP executed a search warrant and a dark-colored 2017 Dodge Charger with front-end damage consistent with the crash was found in the closed garage in the Rolling Hills subdivision, less than 2 miles from where the scooter was rear-ended.
The car was seized and will be transferred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for investigation.
The FHP said it has yet to determine who was driving the car that struck Cogliser's scooter.
A neighbor, Calvin Pullen, saw troopers at the house and saw the car towed away.
"Saturday afternoon was when the car was parked right up against the garage to where you couldn't see the front bumper," Pullen said. "And then Sunday, it had been moved inside the garage."
Coglister's friends said she had just moved down from Pennsylvania with her boyfriend in May. Most of her family is still there.
Meghan Chmielewski, who described herself as Coglister's best friend, said she leaves behind one grown son, who lives in Arizona.
"She was very humble. She was a very peaceful person. She was very laid back and such a loving woman. She would go to the ends of the earth to help anybody in need," Chmielewski said. "I'll tell you right now the world was a much better place with Dayna in it."
Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to call the Florida Highway Patrol at *FHP (*347) or Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS (8477).