DeLand Woman Charged in 2024 Fatal Car Accident

19-year-old Briannah Ortiz, a DeLand resident, has been criminally charged in connection to a fatal car accident that took place last year. Ortiz is charged with vehicular homicide, and was arrested on Wednesday. The incident took place on August 3rd, 2024. Ortiz was said to have been driving her 2018 Nissan Sentra with one passenger on Howland Boulevard at around 2:00 am. When she was at the 2600 block, she crashed into a concrete power pole. The passenger, a 33-year-old Deltona resident, was killed in the crash. It took over one year after the wreck for Ortiz to be criminally charged for her alleged role. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has said that its investigation is complete, and that they found Ortiz to have been driving recklessly. Ortiz was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on Wednesday evening. Just under two hours later, she was released on $50,000 bond.