Hit-and-run driver killed young mom delivering food with child in her car: prosecutors

A tragic hit-and-run incident claims the life of a 27-year-old woman, Jennifer Kelleher, while she was fulfilling an Uber Eats order in Austin, with her young son just a few feet away in the car. After nearly two years, authorities have now filed charges against the alleged driver involved.

On the evening of January 27, 2023, around 5:45 p.m., Kelleher parked her vehicle in the 5000 block of West Washington to make a delivery, leaving her nearly 2-year-old son secured in the back seat. As she exited her car, prosecutors state that 48-year-old Lydale Durr sped through the area in his wife’s 2012 Buick without decelerating. Surveillance footage reportedly shows that Durr did not attempt to stop before colliding with Kelleher, forcefully throwing her into the opposing traffic lane, where she suffered an additional impact from another vehicle.

Despite immediate medical assistance and being rushed to Stroger Hospital, Kelleher was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.

Authorities report that after the incident, Durr fled the scene and attempted to conceal the Buick in an alleyway. Law enforcement later located the vehicle, revealing that Durr’s driver’s license had been revoked since January 2002.

During a recent court hearing, Judge Luciano Panici, Jr. ordered Durr to be held in custody, citing a concerning criminal history that includes several felonies and past convictions related to driving offenses. He is now facing serious charges of leaving the scene following a fatal accident.

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