A 3-year-old girl has died from her injuries after she, along with her mother and baby brother, were hit Friday night by a distracted driver in Brooksville, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Ava Thomas was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with critical injuries. She was pronounced dead at 7 a.m. Saturday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Ava's mother, Lacey, was walking south with her three children on the edge of the northbound lanes of Neff Lake Road at 5:01 p.m.
At the same time, William Cameron Perkins, 26, of Brooksville, was driving a 2002 Jaguar south on Neff Lake Road. Troopers said he became distracted after dropping a cigarette and lost control of his vehicle.
The Jaguar hit Lacey, Ava and 1-year-old Spencer Thomas, troopers said. All three were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with critical injuries.
Lacey and Spencer Thomas remain in critical condition at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Perkins was arrested overnight for driving with a suspended license resulting in serious injury and ticketed for careless driving.
Officials said the case remains under investigation, and charges may be added or amended as the situation changes.