Palm Beach woman, 23, killed in West Palm hit-and-run; driver later found

WEST PALM BEACH — A driver struck and killed a 23-year-old woman in West Palm Beach in the early hours of Saturday morning as she crossed the road. Though the driver left the scene, city police said they tracked him down within hours.

Madison Gerhard of Palm Beach was crossing 45th Street near Interstate 95 when a van driving westbound collided with her shortly before 5 a.m. A spokesperson for the West Palm Beach Police Department said the impact threw Gerhard about 50 feet, killing her instantly.

Traffic homicide investigators say the 56-year-old driver, whom police have not yet named nor charged with a crime, was driving about 55 mph at the time of the crash. He left the scene before first responders arrived.

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Authorities closed 45th Street for four hours while they collected evidence, including a broken-off piece of equipment that ultimately led officers to the man's 1997 Chevrolet Astro. They found the van early Saturday afternoon, parked in the backyard of a home in West Palm Beach.

The owner of the van accompanied investigators to police headquarters, where he admitted to driving the van and striking "something significant" before leaving the scene. Officers are awaiting the analysis of DNA collected on the van and have said criminal charges against the driver are pending the outcome of additional investigation.

According to her LinkedIn page, Gerhard was a New Jersey native who studied psychology at Florida State University.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach woman killed in West Palm hit-and-run, driver found