Mother, child seriously injured in hit-and-run outside Walmart, suspected driver arrested at motel

Woman, child seriously injured in hit-and-run crash

FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.

LARGO, Fla. - Largo police say they've arrested the driver who took off after hitting a mother and her 6-year-old child in a Walmart parking lot, leaving both with serious injuries.

The backstory:

The Largo Police Department says a woman later identified as Lauren Howells, 32, hit the victims and crashed into other vehicles shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday outside Walmart off Roosevelt Blvd.

Pictured: Walmart off Roosevelt Blvd.

Cristiane Souza de Oliveira and her child, Aylla Rodrigues, went to the hospital, with police saying the child's injuries are life-threatening.

"We are just hoping that this child is able to make it through," said Largo police spokesperson Megan Santo.

Investigators say the Clearwater Police Department found Howells' vehicle parked at the Days Inn on Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., but Howells had left.

Law enforcement later found Howells at Murphy's Motel off 34th St., according to police, at which point she admitted to crashing in the Walmart parking lot and leaving the scene.

Mugshot of Lauren Howells. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail.

"They did work very hard in collaboration with the other agencies in the county to make sure that they found her as quickly as they could to take her into custody for the crimes that she committed," said Santo.

What they're saying:

"For the family involved, we are very, very just heartbroken and our hearts go out to them because that was never supposed to be a part of their evening," said Santo.

What's next:

Police are trying to figure out what led to the crash, how fast she was going, whether she was under the influence or whether she had help getting away.

Howells faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, and one count of reckless driving with serious bodily injury.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the Largo Police Department.

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