Andrea Bower, Brandon Florida girl struck by car passes away
Andrea Bower reportedly takes a bus near Bloomingdale, but on Friday morning, Andrea missed that bus and tried to catch up to it at another stop.
Andrea Bower
The teen tried to cross Bloomingdale Avenue, but was struck by a SUV driven by Stephanie Akins.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office traffic homicide investigators are conducting the investigation.
Several of the children at the bus stop witnessed the accident.
“We all told her to go home because she’d already missed the bus and she just kept on laughing and smiling and trying to cross the road,” said Kyle Brooklyn, one of her classmates.
Stephanie Akins had two of her small children in the care and is fully cooperating with authorities. She has submitted to a voluntary blood draw and police added that speed or alcohol does not appear to be a factor.
School officials immediately responded to the scene and will be working with those students as well as students at Giunta Middle School.
The eighth grader passed away at Tampa General Hospital after being in critical condition following the accident.
The investigation continues.
