YULEE, Fla. – Loved ones of a Yulee woman who died Saturday night falling out of a moving car in Nassauville identified her as 25-year-old Hailey Hutto.
Hutto, the mother of an 18-month-old girl, is being remembered by those close to her for her fun-loving personality and outgoing spirit.
“She was a really good friend and she was easy to get close to. She was sweet and caring,” said Lauren Duke. “Her family was No. 1 in her life. I can’t even imagine the hurt they are feeling right now."
There is a small memorial growing at the site of the accident at Merlin Drive and Duck Lake Drive. Someone left behind a stuffed animal and a bouquet of flowers.
According to a case report, Ashley Collum, 23, was driving Hutto and a second passenger as they left a party on Duck Lake Drive around 9:30 p.m.
A witness in the car told the Sheriff's Office that Hutto got angry before opening the back door and exiting the moving vehicle. Witnesses driving behind the car told deputies that Collum then drove away and left the woman in the road, but returned sometime later.
Collum, 23, has been charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI involving death and failure to immediately stop and render aid. Collum does not have a driving record in Nassau County, but has two 2019 traffic citations in of Duval County.
“The heartbreak that they feel, it was a freak accident, you know what I mean? We were all so distraught, so heartbroken and this is a life-changing thing. We are never going to get over that. We will just have to get through it somehow, but we’re never going to get over it and their lives are changed forever,” Duke said.
As the family prepares to lay Hutto to rest, a friend created a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral costs.