Woman charged with DUI manslaughter, causing canal crash on Burnt Store Road

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of DUI manslaughter, causing another woman to lose control of her vehicle and crash into a canal.

Police arrested Jessica Hearn, 25, following an investigation launched from a crash that occurred on Burnt Store Road on June 4, 2025.

According to an affidavit submitted by the Cape Coral police, Hearn was driving in a vehicle occupied by four people, including herself, along Burnt Store Road, when she was rear-ended by another blue Lexus.

The collision caused the Lexus to crash through a guard rail and into the canal on the west side of Burnt Store Road. The crash submerged the vehicle.

First responders then arrived on the scene to extricate the vehicle’s occupant. The vehicle’s occupant was pronounced dead at the scene.

Upon interviewing Hearn, she told the police she was on her way to purchase chicken wings and that her GPS had directed her to turn left. She then turned left, saying there were no other vehicles in the area. 

The collision then occurred; however, Hearn could not say where the vehicle had eventually come to rest. Police noted that the scent of alcohol was emanating from her face.

The officer speaking to Hearn found probable cause to check Hearn’s phone since she mentioned using the GPS function before and during the crash.

During their investigation, police said they found footage from the night of the crash, showing Hearn partying and drinking before entering her vehicle. 

In addition to the footage and witness accounts from the occupants of the three other vehicles, detectives determined what happened on June 4.

According to the police department, Hearn had departed from a friend’s home in Punta Gorda after a day of drinking, where she and three other people were traveling to Cape Coral. 

While driving south on Burnt Store Road, they encountered the blue Lexus ahead of Hearn. Both vehicles began to speed up and slow down before the Lexus driver brake checked Hearn, who had been driving close behind.

Police then say that Hearn passed the Lexus, cutting it off while brake-checking. In an attempt to prevent the Lexus from passing, Hearn allegedly abruptly changed lanes in the direct path of the Lexus, causing a collision to occur. 

The Lexus driver lost control of their vehicle, crashing into a guardrail and into the nearby canal. According to the autopsy report, the driver died from their injuries sustained in the crash.

Police then said that Hearn had recorded herself taking shots of Vodka within an hour of the crash.

Assessment of Hearn found that she had the scent of alcohol on her face, prompting officers to test her BAC levels. They found Hearn’s BAC level was between 0.108 and 0.110.

In addition to the interviews conducted with Hearn’s occupants and her admission to being the driver, the police arrested her. 

Her charges include vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter.