Former Oakleaf girls basketball player was driving at 99 mph when she collided with another vehicle, killing a 3-month-old boy, according to a Florida Highway Patrol investigation.
On July 25, Orange Park resident Kamiya Hope Jones, 19, was taken into custody and charged with reckless driving and vehicular murder in relation to an accident that occurred on January 5, 2023, near the intersection of Oakleaf Plantation Parkway and Eagle Landing Parkway.
The five-page document for an arrest warrant states that following the Lady Knights’ 76-54 victory over Nease, Jones was driving a 2020 Honda Civic with teammate Jakayla Schriner as a passenger, while Kirshya Jahnya Harge followed in a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. They drove soundbound on Oakleaf Plantation Parkway at a pace exceeding double the posted speed limit of 45 mph after stopping at McDonald’s.
The lead vehicle was driven by Jones. According to FHP, Harge was going 87 mph and Jones was going 99 mph. Jones collided with Simone Elise Huffman’s Hyundai on the left as they got closer to the Eagle Landing Parkway intersection. In the rear seat of the automobile sat a 3-month-old child in a car seat. The day after his injuries, he passed away.
Although Harge was able to avoid the collision, she collided with a concrete light pole. The pole was split in two by the force of the collision.
Her bond was lowered to $175,006 from its initial amount of $300,005. On August 19, 2024, she made her next court appearance.
