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FHP: Nassau County woman, Jacksonville man killed in hit-and-run crash

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A Nassau County woman and Jacksonville man were killed in a hit-and-run crash on Saturday night, troopers said.

Troopers said Bailey McKnight, 22 of Bryceville, and Ryan Kennedy, 21 of Jacksonville, were inside a 2017 Honda Civic on US-301 just after 11 p.m.

Family and friends said the couple were expecting their first child together and McKnight was 8 months pregnant. She was also the mother of a little boy.

According to FHP, a white Ford F-250 traveling southbound on US-301 in the left northbound travel lane with no headlights on hit the Honda head-on.

McKnight and Kennedy were both killed.

Trooper said the driver of the F-250, Shawn Blitchington of Jacksonville, fled the scene on foot. Nassau County deputies located Blitchington nearby the crash scene and troopers arrested him.

He is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

Toxicology reports for all three people involved in the crash are pending.

FHP also confirmed to Action News Jax that Blitchington did not have a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash.

Court records show Blitchington had multiple drug, alcohol, and traffic offenses since 1992, including DUIs.

We are working to learn if the State Attorney’s Office plans to add charges, as well as what a judge sets his bond at when he has his first court date.