INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — A teen driver—who FHP says hit his 15-year-old classmate, then left her to die—has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident to property damage.
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That means he accepts the penalty without admitting guilt.
WPTV has been digging through public records, obtaining a 911 call, and pressing for answers in the death of Haylee Hughes for more than a year.
Investigative reporter Kate Hussey has been following this case from the start—and was in court for the sentencing.
Inside the Indian River County courthouse, Haylee’s family broke down in tears.
“Taking responsibility would have saved my daughter’s life,” her mother, Jericho Freeman, told the court.
Because he was a minor at the time of the incident, WPTV is not naming him.
“By entering this plea, you’re giving up your right to a jury trial—do you understand that?” Judge Menz asked the teen.
"Yes, Your Honor," he replied.
In previous reports, WPTV obtained the only 911 call related to the incident, FHP’s traffic homicide file, GPS records, and dispatch logs.
Those records show Haylee was left on the side of the road for 17 minutes before help arrived. Medical reports confirm her brain wasn’t getting oxygen that entire time.
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“At that time, it was too late—for Miss Hughes,” said Assistant State Attorney Gayle Braun in court.
Prosecutors say the teen told troopers he thought he hit a mailbox. In a letter reviewed by WPTV, the State Attorney’s Office previously told investigators it could not prove the teen knew he hit Haylee.
That left prosecutors to pursue one charge: leaving the scene of property damage. A careless driving citation was dropped in exchange for the plea.
“He did not do his duties as a responsible driver on April 12. If he had, we could be celebrating Haylee's release from the hospital on Earth Day 2024, instead of her release from our lives. I would be shaking his hand and thanking him for doing the right thing,” Freeman said in court.
Before sentencing, Freeman spoke through the pain—asking Judge Nicole Menz to hear what Haylee never got to say.
“Haylee will never get to go to prom. Graduate. Go to college. Get married have children. Or live out any of her dreams. She won’t get to travel.”
Then came the words of Haylee’s father—read aloud by the assistant state attorney.
“I’ll never hear her say, 'Hey dad, I backed your truck into the garage,' or even, 'Hey old man, I got into college.'”
They brought the courtroom—and the prosecutor—to tears.
“The anger and devastation," said the prosecutor in tears, "I’m so sorry, judge.”
At last, came the decision.
“These are the days I wish I could do more. I have to trust this agreement is enough to teach you—as Mr. Hughes said—your actions have consequences,” Judge Menz said.
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The sentence included probation, six months without a license, more than $2,000 in fines, and 120 hours of community service.
“I will require that those hours be done in a trauma center or hospital that regularly receives victims of vehicle accidents,” Menz added.
Outside the courtroom, the teen’s attorney declined to comment.
“Maybe later, but not at this time," said the teen's attorney.
Haylee’s family, though, says the price paid is nowhere near the loss they feel every day.
“She had a world to explore. If anything comes from this, I hope it’s understanding—that actions have consequences. And those consequences ripple further than you know," read Haylee's father's letter to the court.
Again—the driver, his family, and his attorney declined to comment.
In a statement to us, Freeman issued the following:
"I can't express my defeat in my pursuit in getting justice for Haylee. She deserves more. I wanted Logan to never drive again. He doesn't deserve the privilege. Pleading no contest was a slap to Haylee's honor, plead deal or not. I am thankful for Judge Menz's ruling and her sound words at sentencing. I hope Logan took them to heart.
Haylee was treated like a mailbox from the very beginning. The justice system failed her. His word of not seeing her meant more than my daughter's life in opinion of "without reasonable doubt". I would have fought it. Haylee is forever loved and missed."
