St. Petersburg, Florida, is reeling after a devastating drunk-driving crash claimed the life of a single mother, sparking outrage from the community and the courtroom alike.
Police say 22-year-old Xavier Omar Rigby was driving a 2021 Nissan Altima late Saturday night when he slammed into 38-year-old Kjersten Aileen-Hermance Strang’s e-bike at high speed. The impact launched Strang onto Rigby’s windshield. Instead of stopping, investigators allege Rigby kept driving for eight blocks with her body trapped in the car before she was thrown onto the roadway. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rigby allegedly fled without calling for help. Officers later found him less than a mile away at a liquor store, where they reported he smelled heavily of alcohol, slurred his words, and refused a sobriety test. He was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail.
Judge Condemns Repeat Offender
Rigby’s first court appearance on Monday quickly turned heated. Judge Elizabeth Zuroweste blasted his history of reckless driving, noting a 2022 hit-and-run case and a prior DUI reduced to reckless driving in 2024.
“Now we are here with extremely aggravating circumstances,” she said. “You killed somebody, left the scene, and dragged their body. You are a danger to this community.”
Rigby’s record also includes speeding more than 30 mph over the limit, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, and open container violations. His bond was set at $750,000 for DUI manslaughter, while he was denied bond on charges of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
A Mother’s Life Stolen
Strang, remembered by loved ones as a kind, selfless “angel,” leaves behind her young son. A GoFundMe has been launched to support him as the community rallies in grief.
“She had so much love to give and cared deeply for everyone around her,” a family member wrote. “Now her son has to grow up without his mother because of one man’s reckless choices.”
Community in Shock
The details of the case — not only the violent crash but the driver’s alleged decision to keep going with Strang still lodged in his windshield — have left St. Petersburg shaken.
As prosecutors prepare their case, Strang’s family faces the unimaginable: life without a mother, daughter, and friend who touched so many lives.
