Sara Morales: Pregnant Florida woman shot dead as she pulls gun after hit-and-run
On Saturday, a 35-year-old librarian was tragically shot after returning home after a hit-and-run accident and pointing a gun at the person she allegedly hit with her car.
According to the Orange City Police Department, Sara Nicole Morales allegedly purposefully hit Andrew Derr, a 40-year-old biker, with a blue Kia she was driving and then fled the scene. Motorcyclists and other witnesses tried to persuade Morales to stop over, and they followed her to her home, where she went inside and emerged with a revolver, which she pointed at Derr, according to authorities.
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According to authorities, Derr, a concealed weapons permit holder, fired multiple shots, striking Morales. Morales was still breathing when he was taken to the hospital in Halifax following the shooting. However, she succumbed to her injuries and died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
According to a 911 call obtained by WESH, Morales yelled at the persons outside her home that they were "three men" and that "you followed me" before bullets were fired. "What's that?" the 911 operator said after hearing several bullets fired.
"A lady is shot," the caller said, adding that the "guy who was hit on the bike" was the one who shot her. "Because she pulled a gun out on him," the caller replied when asked why he shot her.
Derr remained at the site until the police came, and Morales' firearm was seized. He's been collaborating with authorities "from the outset," according to police, and no one has been charged.
According to Lieutenant Jason Sampsell of the Orange City Police Department, the investigation is still underway, but he believes Derr will not be charged with any crime.
The hit-and-run happened around 5 p.m. on Saturday, and it was described as a "minor crash" by police. According to the police department, Derr was neither harmed nor thrown from his motorcycle.
According to Orange City police, the event is still being investigated by the Orange City Police Department in collaboration with the States Attorney's Office.
Morales was four or five months pregnant when she was fatally shot, according to her family, and she leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter and a fiance. According to WOFL, Derr hasn't been able to sleep since the shooting and feels bad for Morales' family, but he thought he had "no other choice" but to shoot her.