A Florida couple faces charges over a fatal hit-and-run highway crash that took the life of a newlywed husband and honeymooner driving through the Daytona Beach area with his bride over two years ago.
Megan Nichole Brannan, 33, and Jeffrey Stephen Brannan, 32, were arrested on Tuesday. The wife stands accused of leaving the scene of a fatal crash and leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injuries. The husband stands accused of being an accessory after the fact.
The crash occurred on Sept. 12, 2021, at 11:13 p.m. on Interstate 95 near LPGA Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
At the time, a 2021 Dodge Charger was southbound on the entrance ramp and tried to merge in the “direct path” of a 2019 Dodge RAM pickup, state troopers said, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Brannan was allegedly behind the wheel of the car. Christopher Coffey, 29, was in the truck with his wife, Mary Coffey.
Authorities say the left front end of the car clipped the right rear end of the pickup. The Charger spun out on the road while the truck fared far worse, according to the highway patrol. The pickup overturned, over and over, then went down the grass shoulder, struck a utility pole, continued down an embankment and landed in a drainage ditch.
The truck rolled between eight and 10 times, the Florida Highway Patrol estimates.
After that, the Charger fled south, police say.
Left: Megan Brannan; Right: Jeffrey Brannan (Volusia County Jail; Orange County Jail)
Both Coffeys suffered serious injuries.
“He had just married his high school sweetheart, they had been dating on and off for about 10 years,” Christopher Coffey’s father, Joel Coffey, told Orlando-based CBS affiliate WKMG in September 2021.
In a GoFundMe, Mary Coffey’s sister said they married the day before, on Sept. 11, 2021.
“Chris sustained injuries to the brain when this happened,” Allison Moore wrote in the fundraiser. “At this time, the medical bills are unexpected and overwhelming. Our family and friends are asking anyone who sees this to share, donate, or just keep them in their thoughts. Mary and Chris had the happiest day of their life Saturday, and the worst barely 24 hours later. Chris is the greatest guy, he is a son, brother, uncle, and now husband. I am so blessed to have him as a brother. We just want to help in any way we can.”
The newlyweds hailed from Whitesburg, Tennessee.
Mary Coffey’s injuries were miraculously not of the life-threatening kind. Christopher Coffey succumbed to his wounds at the Halifax Health Medical Center six days later.
“On Saturday, September 18, Christopher Coffey passed away,” Moore wrote in an update. “His wife, Mary, parents, Joel and Angie, and best friend Jordan were all by his side. There are many broken hearts today. Chris wasn’t a person who just became your friend, he became your family. There are countless stories out there of his kindness, his ambition, and a lot of good laughs. Chris will always be with us through our memories, and his legacy will continue.”
Information about the resulting investigation into the tragedy is scarce. In a press release provided to WKMG, state troopers said they determined the driver and passenger of the car that hit the truck.
“The crazy thing is, it was a brand new, giant truck,” Moore told Orlando-based Fox affiliate WOFL in 2021. “It was a huge truck. The fact that whatever happened, was able to flip that truck so much.”
Megan Brannan was detained in the Volusia County Jail on $75,000 bond, which she posted Tuesday afternoon. Jeffrey Brannan is being detained on $50,000 bond in the Orange County Jail.
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