BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A Michigan man was arrested Thursday in a hit-and-run crash earlier this month that left a Brunswick teenage girl dead, the Glynn County Police Department said.
Jeffery Herrington, 51, is charged with one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, which is a felony.
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On Sept. 16, police said, Tashara Culbreath, 18, was walking near Highway 17, between Georgia Highway 303 and Emanuel Farm Road, when a car hit her and left her on the side of the road.
According to Georgia authorities, Culbreath's body was found early the next day.
Culbreath was a senior at Brunswick High School.
"Right now, I still feel numb about the whole situation," said Janasia Smith, Culbreath's best friend. "But I do feel better knowing the person is locked up."
Smith shared what she remembers most about Culbreath with News4Jax Thursday night.
"She was a lovable person," she said. "Tashara was always laughing. She was a joyful person."
Earlier this week, Smith said, she learned about the crash in a post from Culbreath’s mother. Smith said she called her friend's cell several times and couldn't believe it when she learned her best friend had died.
"It's just hard not getting a phone call from her or getting a text, or seeing her. It really hurts that someone would do that to her," Smith said.
Smith never imagined she'd lose her best friend this way.
"The day they found her, I went out there and the police still had where she was found marked off and I just broke down," Smith said.
Since the news of Culbreath's death, people have shared her story through social media, using the hashtag #JusticeForTashara.
Smith said she and Culbreath talked about being roommates in college and walking the stage at graduation next year.
"She may not be physically able to walk with me. But I already said what I was going to do when I walk. I'm going to look up to the sky and say, 'Baby girl, I did this for you,'" Smith said.
Others have said Culbreath dreamed of becoming a nurse and was a natural-born helper.
The crash is still under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to contact the Georgia State Patrol Post No. 23 at 912-262-2380.