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Man arrested in connection to deadly Daytona Beach hit-and-run, police say

Gerald Thomas, 49, faces a felony count of crash involving death or personal injuries

Gerald L. Thomas, 49, faces a felony count relating to a crash involving death or personal injuries, police said. Investigators are still seeking a second person they believe to be involved in the fatal hit-and-run. (Daytona Beach Police Department)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Daytona Beach driver was arrested Friday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a 24-year-old man two days prior, according to the department.

A charging affidavit shows 49-year-old Gerald Thomas faces a charge relating to the deadly wreck, which happened on South Nova Road near Bellevue Avenue around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

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Police said Q’ueshawn Emmanuel Jones was crossing the intersection that night when a vehicle, believed to be a gray or dark gray BMW sedan, hit him and drove off.

Someone nearby called 911 to report the hit-and-run when they saw Jones on the side of the road, the department said. Jones, however, died at the scene, according to the affidavit.

The man’s mother, Patricia Jones, called the hit-and-run driver “evil.”

“Y’all hit my baby, and y’all left him there, and he’s gone — and he’s never coming back,” she said. “He’s never getting back up. He’s never coming back home. He’s never...I can’t see my baby no more, and he did not deserve that. He didn’t.”

A person later called into the police department to give them information on Thomas, whom the caller believed was involved in the crash due to damage on his gray BMW’s hood, front bumper and windshield.

Thomas, facing a felony count of crash involving death or personal injuries, was booked into Volusia County jail, where he’s held on a $5,000 bond.

Investigators said they are no longer seeking a second person in the deadly hit-and-run.

Patricia Jones set up a GoFundMe to help pay for her son’s funeral, which can be accessed here.


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