Florida deputy's 20-year-old daughter dies after crash involving alligator on I-95

Cassi Taylor, the 20-year-old daughter of Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Scott Burke, died in a bizarre crash on I-95 near Titusville shortly before her scheduled swearing-in as a civilian corrections assistant. A Mercedes had earlier hit a wandering alligator, prompting Taylor to swerve sharply in her Toyota Tacoma to avoid a collision. Her truck rolled over, ejecting her onto the roadway, where she was subsequently struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Authorities confirmed the alligator was killed when the Mercedes struck it. The Mercedes driver, identified as a 58-year-old Canadian, was not injured and stayed at the scene while police searched for the fleeing driver. Taylor had joined the sheriff’s office only a month earlier, and her death prompted condolences from the department and an online fundraiser describing her as an “amazing young lady.”