By Brian Biggane
The woman charged in the November hit-and-run death of a South Palm Beach woman has multiple DUI offenses and has been driving without a valid license for the past seven years, according to court documents.
Amneris Ramos, 43, listed as homeless, was booked into the Palm Beach County jail April 16 and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, tampering with physical evidence, and driving with a suspended/revoked license.
Her bond was set at $100,000. She was still incarcerated as of April 25, according to the jail’s online booking blotter. Her arraignment was scheduled for May 2.
According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, Ramos, who was driving a black 2016 GMC Terrain northbound on State Road A1A, struck and killed Hatixhe Laiqi, 73, at 6:03 p.m. Nov. 10, around dusk.
Laiqi, a resident of the nearby Barclay condominium, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The following morning, the report said, a “Good Samaritan” spotted a damaged car parked in Boynton Beach, bearing evidence that it had struck someone, and notified police.
The front driver’s side of the SUV had extensive damage, including to the bumper, headlight, fender, hood, windshield and sideview mirror and was determined to be the same vehicle that struck Laiqi.
The investigating officer said Ramos had wiped down the hood and had thrown the side mirror toward a nearby lake in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Ramos has not been licensed to drive since 2017, the report said. “She has amassed suspensions and revocations for multiple DUI offenses, driving without a license, driving offenses, and failure to pay,” the investigating officer reported.
Palm Beach County court records show Ramos was adjudicated guilty of driving under the influence in May 2021 following an arrest in Boynton Beach a year earlier.
The probable cause affidavit said Ramos admitted to driving the vehicle when the accident occurred.
“She gave specific details, which would have only been known to the driver,” the investigating officer said. “She also described her travel path following the crash. The synopsis of events given by [Ramos] were substantiated by tag readers, video surveillance, and [her] cellular telephone records.”
Speed limit lowered
The hit-and-run upset town residents, who two months later packed a meeting with Florida Department of Transportation engineer Jonathan Overton. The speed limit has since been lowered in the town from 35 mph to 30 mph and several signs have been erected urging drivers to be careful and share the road.
Mayor Bonnie Fischer reported at the Town Council’s April meeting that lowering the A1A speed limit has been well received in town, but there remains a strong desire among residents to install a crosswalk. The town has none.
FDOT has proposed adding one just south of the town line at the north end of Lantana Beach, which would require the cooperation of Lantana. Because Fischer considers the existing crosswalk at the Ocean Avenue intersection to be very dangerous, she spoke to Lantana’s mayor and town manager and “they were very interested” in the idea, she said.
Fischer, Overton and Lantana officials met in late April to further address the issue. Fischer was expected to report on that meeting at the May 14 Town Council meeting.
Regarding the speed limit change, PBSO Sergeant Mark Garrison said the first statistics regarding traffic stops and tickets would also be available at the May meeting.
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