Police say Vicki Noon was in her yard when a gold sedan left the road and struck her.
BRADENTON, Fla. — A 40-year-old Bradenton man faces criminal charges after police said he struck and killed a 77-year-old woman in her front yard Friday and left the scene.
The crash killed Vicki Noon, a retiree who police said was in the yard of her home in the 5600 block of 11th Avenue West when a vehicle veered off the road. Investigators identified the driver as Jordan Beard and said officers found him nearby after witnesses and security camera footage helped point them toward a gold sedan.
Bradenton police said officers responded at about 1 p.m. May 1 to reports of a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian. When they arrived, they found Noon dead at the scene. Witnesses told police they saw a gold sedan leaving the area after the crash. Officers began checking nearby homes and businesses for camera footage and soon obtained an image of the suspected vehicle. A police sergeant who was driving through the neighborhood looking for the car found it at a home in the 7200 block of 13th Avenue West, police said.
The address where police found the car was within walking distance of the crash scene, according to the department. Beard was at the residence and cooperated with detectives. Police first announced that he faced a charge of leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death. Later reports said additional charges were added, including DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with evidence. Authorities have not publicly released a full crash report, the suspected blood alcohol level, or details explaining the tampering allegation.
Noon’s family and neighbors described her as a former nurse and a well-known resident in a community with many older adults. Her daughter, Jennifer Mulholland, said the loss cut across generations. “It was stolen from her,” Mulholland told a local station, referring to her mother’s retirement. She said the crash also took something from Noon’s husband, children and soon-to-arrive great-grandchild. Neighbors said Noon was friendly and active in the area, and one resident said nearly everyone on the street knew her.
The neighborhood where the crash happened is a residential area west of downtown Bradenton and not far from coastal roads leading toward Manatee County beach communities. Local coverage said residents had complained about speeding on the street before the crash. A police spokesperson called the area quiet and said the death was tragic. The department also credited residents with helping investigators move quickly. “The community was very quick to respond,” the spokesperson said, adding that tips and camera checks helped officers find the vehicle.
The case changed within a day as investigators continued reviewing evidence. Beard was initially booked on the hit-and-run count, and local reports later said the charges were upgraded after police made a DUI determination. The charges mean prosecutors will have to prove not only that Beard was driving the vehicle that killed Noon, but also that impairment and the alleged decision to leave the scene met the legal standards for the filed counts. Beard has not been convicted, and the case remains in the early court stage.
Police have not said whether Beard and Noon knew each other before the crash. They also have not said whether the vehicle crossed a sidewalk, driveway or grass before striking her, or whether speed was a factor. Investigators have not released the security images or any body-camera video. The public account so far rests on the police timeline, witness statements about the gold sedan, the camera canvass and the discovery of the car a short distance from Noon’s home.
The crash drew attention because Noon was not walking along a busy road or crossing an intersection. Police said she was in her own yard when she was hit. That detail became central to the family’s grief and to the public response around the case. Relatives said Noon had been enjoying retirement, and neighbors described her death as a shock in a community where many residents know one another and spend time outside their homes.
As of May 4, the criminal case against Beard remained pending. Investigators were expected to continue reviewing crash evidence, toxicology findings, witness accounts and security footage before prosecutors move the case further through Manatee County court.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.