A woman has been arrested after she abandoned her child and drove across several states, ultimately striking a woman with her car once she made it to Indiana during an October 2025 incident.
Adria Wilkerson was taken into custody by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, February 17, after she was found responsible for a car crash that killed 45-year-old Vicki Colley.
A warrant for Wilkerson’s arrest was issued by Indiana’s Grant County after she allegedly struck Colley’s vehicle head-on, according to court documents obtained by WXIN.
Wilkerson, 31, allegedly drove her black BMW through a farmer’s fence and ended up in a cow pasture while she was “driving recklessly.” When she got back on the road, Wilkerson reportedly hit Colley’s Chevrolet. The collision trapped Colley inside her vehicle and caused her to experience fatal injuries.
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Court documents state that authorities began receiving reports about Wilkerson’s driving just 18 minutes before the crash took place.
Police believe that Wilkerson first began her reckless journey in the upstate New York village of Corinth after she allegedly abandoned her child.
Wilkerson’s family told police that she had a history of “suicidal ideology.” However, it is not currently clear why she left her child or if anything in particular led up to the decision.
Court documents indicate that officers confirmed the claim that Wilkerson abandoned her child by reviewing an abandonment of a child report filed by Saratoga County law enforcement, as well as issuing a welfare check.
Once she left New York, Wilkerson seemingly headed west and made her way to Indiana.
The incident took place on October 1, 2025. Police responded to a state road near Oak Hill High School in Converse, Indiana, around 4 p.m. after they received a report of a black BMW “driving recklessly.”
Upon their arrival, police found Wilkerson’s BMW was on fire. Police helped Wilkerson get out of the car, and she was taken by helicopter to the hospital to treat her “serious” injuries.
Colley was also removed from her car and was transported to the hospital, where she later died.
The victim’s death was initially ruled an accident, with an autopsy determining that her cause of death was blunt force injuries of the torso and left side extremities. However, the ruling changed when police launched an investigation into the accident and determined how irresponsibly Wilkerson was driving.
Following the investigation, police issued an arrest warrant for Wilkerson on February 13. She has since been charged with reckless homicide and reckless driving, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
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Wilkerson was located in Venice, Florida, and was arrested by deputies on February 17, according to Sarasota County authorities.
She is currently being held in the Sarasota County Jail and is expected to be extradited back to Indiana to face charges.
It is not currently clear if Wilkerson has entered a plea or retained legal representation as of time of publication.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
