FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Appearing sullen and downcast, a Fort Lauderdale woman faced a Broward County judge Friday, one day after her arrest in what police said was a hit-and-run crash in the city that nearly killed a good Samaritan over the summer.
Authorities said Tydaijah Murray, 29, never should have been behind the wheel. Court records also reveal she has a troubled driving history.
Fort Lauderdale police said the crash happened along the 2300 block of Northwest Sixth Street just before midnight on Aug. 11.
Police said Murray struck Boca Raton hairstylist Eugene Arsirii as he was helping push a disabled car off the road after its driver ran out of gas. Police said Murray ran away after plowing into Arsirii and two others.
Arsirii, who lost one of his legs, told Local 10 News about a week before Murray’s arrest that “it has been a constant flow of surgeries ever since the day of the accident.”
Detectives said Murray was driving with a suspended license. On Friday, she faced a judge, serious charges and the consequences of her alleged actions.
Murray’s charges include leaving the scene of a crash, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license.
Broward court records show Murray has had at least five traffic cases dating back to 2018, including a 2019 hit-and-run in which she later pleaded no contest.
In that case, Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies cited her after they said she rear-ended another driver in the 4400 block of Peters Road in the unincorporated Broadview Park area and drove off.
According to a crash report, the victim followed her to a home. Deputies said she claimed she didn’t know who was driving the Nissan Altima that crashed into the man’s pickup — but later admitted she was behind the wheel. She was driving without insurance at the time.
Following her no-contest plea in 2020, court records show she was placed on probation and ordered to attend an aggressive driving program.
As of Friday, Murray, facing the possibility of a much more severe punishment, is being held on a bond of more than $250,000.