A mother who lost her daughter to a hit-and-run driver is suing the owner of the car allegedly involved.
Melanie Luque was hit and killed in a crash on Friday morning, which also left her brother in a coma.
A memorial for Melanie sits along East Colonial Drive where the two teens were hit.
While the family grieves, they’ve also taken legal action against a woman who troopers said is a person of interest.
Attorneys for Tina Exposito said they conducted their own investigation on the crash.
It started with identifying the owners of a 2008 black Mercedes, Nikki and Kila Holland, a mother and daughter from DeLand.
Espisito’s attorneys said they believe Kila was behind the wheel.
“We have found out that she is a student, that she lives in the area where the crash happened,” said the family’s lawyer Brian Crews.
They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both women, claiming they found evidence in the form of online pictures of Kila partying and driving the Mercedes, indicating a pattern of behavior.
“Obviously there is a reason why this person left the scene of the accident. They lawyered up. We can’t make them talk until we file a lawsuit,” Crews said.
Both women and their attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Troopers said they got limited cooperation from Kila.
“She came in Friday with her lawyer to tell troopers where the vehicle was located. She would not provide to us who the driver of the vehicle was. So right now, she remains the only person of interest,” said Sgt. Kim Montez.
FHP is conducting a criminal investigation, processing the car for DNA and reviewing surveillance cameras before pressing charges.
Attorneys said Expositio didn’t want to wait that long to take action.
“She’s already lost one child and is in danger of losing another,” said Crews.
FHP said they’ve received some tips about the accident that night and encourage anyone else with information to come forward.