Jury Seated in Bradenton Hit-and-Run Trial; Opening Statements Begin Tuesday

A jury has been selected in the trial of Teresa Zeppi, the Bradenton woman accused of leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run in 2020. The six-person jury, consisting of four women and three men, including an alternate, was seated Monday afternoon. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning.

Zeppi, 60, faces charges related to the crash that resulted in the death of 82-year-old Joseph Dralus Sr. Authorities say Dralus was walking along 9th Avenue NW in Bradenton when an SUV struck him. He succumbed to his injuries about a month later.

Zeppi was arrested in 2022 after investigators linked DNA evidence on her vehicle to the victim. Surveillance footage also reportedly showed a woman stopping near the crash site, exiting her SUV, and wiping the front bumper before driving away.

Zeppi was initially set to accept a plea deal that would have involved no jail time, but prosecutors withdrew the offer before it was finalized. The trial proceedings are expected to move quickly, and the judge anticipates that the case will be handed to the jury by Thursday afternoon.

The victim’s family was present during jury selection and expressed hope that the trial will provide them with the justice they have been seeking for years.