The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a 21-year-old pregnant woman was trying to cross Gibsonton Drive early Wednesday when she was struck by a car and died at the scene.
Deputies say Leanna Jean Mammen, 21, of Gibsonton, was walking north across Gibsonton Drive from the Murphy USA gas station attached to the Wal-mart. She made her way across the eastbound lanes and she was crossing the westbound lanes when she was hit by a Nissan Altima, driven by Isaac Rodriguez Velez, who was driving at approximately 40 miles per hour in the westbound lanes. Rodriguez was traveling with his 4-year-old child in the left rear seat in a child seat.
Neighbors tells us Leanna is also a mother of two young children.
Security cameras at RPM Collision and Repair caught the entire accident. It shows a dark street. Leanna can barely be seen. She is carrying something shiny, camera catches briefly. She only comes into full view when she steps in front of the car and its headlights brighten her image. Within a split second, she was hit.
"She looks like she tried to get out of the way. Looks like the driver tried to swerve from hitting her. It wasn't going to happen. Didn't look like there was any time for him to react." Daniel Anci, General Manager at RPM said.
No one in the Altima was injured in the crash. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the crash.
Mammen was 9 months pregnant and her unborn child did not survive.
Deputies say the baby would have gone into shock immediately after impact, giving rescue crews mere seconds to try to save the baby. By the time first responders arrived, it was too late.
Westbound lanes of Gibsonton Drive between New East Bay Road and Vaughn Street were shut down on Wednesday morning due to the pedestrian-involved accident.
