Witness: Man who killed Nassau County couple was driving without headlights

Shawn Blitchington, 45, accused of hit-and-run, held on $750,000 bond

BRYCEVILLE, Fla. – Each day since a Nassau County couple were struck and killed on U.S. 301 by a wrong-way driver who ran from the scene, News4Jax has learned more about what led to the tragedy and the people involved.

An eyewitness said he was on his porch and saw the crash.

Robert Spiewak, who lives lives across the street from where the wreck happened, said he saw a pickup truck driving without headlights on the wrong side of U.S. 1 seconds before it hit a Honda Civic head-on.

State troopers said Bailey McKnight, 22, Ryan Kennedy, 21, and the couple's child with whom McKnight was eight months pregnant died at the scene.

Spiewak, who rushed to see if he could help, said the image of a young couple dead in their car after it was struck by a Ford F-250 that deputies say was driven by Shawn Blitchington, 45.

"I got out and looked in the Honda. It was pretty bad. Then I went and checked on the guy in the truck and, to my disappointment, he was still alive," Spiewak said. "He’s jumping from the front seat ... completely smelled like alcohol."

Spiewak said Blitchington acted as if he was disoriented.

"The guy who was driving walked over asking what happened and we told him what happened," Spiewak said "That’s how drunk he was. (At) one point, he pointed at me and said, 'I was driving.' That’s how drunk and stupid he was, honestly."

Asked if the driver realized he had killed two people, Spiewak said: "I’m sure he knew and that’s why he took off."

Spiewak says he tried to detain the driver for officers, but that he ran away.  About five hours after the crash, Nassau County deputies found him in a ditch just down the street and about five houses away from the scene. 

The driver, later identified as Blitchington, was arrested a short time later and charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing a fatality. He appeared before a Nassau County judge Tuesday morning and remains in jail on a $750,000 bond.

News4Jax learned Blitchington has a lengthy rap sheet, including five DUI arrests. He was convicted four times. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, he was driving on a suspended license. 

Toxicology reports have not been released yet indicating whether or not he was under the influence Saturday night.

"Should’ve been him in a ditch by himself dead," Spiewak said.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the Ford pickup was registered to a Folkston, Georgia, company called “Pure Air.”  The address listed for the company is in a gated community. A neighbor said Blitchington's company is located at his home.