What was reported
Allen County prosecutors have filed charges in the June hit-and-run that killed Donsia Lamont Kizer, 49, of Fort Wayne on Maysville Road. According to 21Alive's review of Allen County court documents[1], Esperanza Villafana, 26, of Fort Wayne is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and obstruction of justice. She was being held at the Allen County Jail as of Friday, August 28, 2026.
According to 21Alive's initial crash report[2], Kizer was found dead at the roadside in the 6700 block of Maysville Road, near Lake Forest Drive and Kreager Park, on June 19, 2026. Police believe he was struck between 11:30 p.m. on June 18 and 3:15 a.m. on June 19. The autopsy found blunt force trauma consistent with being struck by a large vehicle and marks consistent with the body being dragged. A shoe was found 89 feet from the body.
21Alive reported that investigators found headlight debris with chrome trim matching a 2009 to 2014 generation Ford F-150. Investigators then used license plate reader hits and surveillance footage to trace a red F-150 registered to a man living with Villafana. The charging documents state that license plate reader images showed the truck damaged and later repaired.
The documents further allege that Villafana admitted replacing parts after the crash and repeatedly checking the police activity log, and that she said she believed she had hit a mailbox or a dog. A source identified in the documents reportedly said she had consumed alcohol and marijuana before leaving to run DoorDash deliveries.
Every statement about Villafana's conduct is an allegation contained in a charging document, not a proven fact. No chemical test result has been reported. No source has established whether she was logged into a delivery platform or on an active delivery at the moment of impact. The Fort Wayne Police Department investigated with the Allen County Coroner's Office and the Allen County Prosecutor's Office, and the investigation remains ongoing.
What should families do next?
If your loved one was killed or seriously hurt by a driver who left the scene, ask the investigating agency for the case number and follow up periodically in writing. Preserve photographs, clothing and personal items returned to you, and correspondence from police or the coroner. You can also review guidance on what to do after a Fort Wayne hit-and-run and how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Do not assume you must wait for an arrest before reviewing insurance. Depending on the policy, uninsured motorist coverage may apply when a hit-and-run driver is unknown. Read the declarations page and policy promptly because notice requirements can apply. The firm's guide to uninsured and underinsured accident claims explains common coverage issues.
A criminal case and a civil claim proceed on separate tracks. A conviction is not required for a civil claim, and an acquittal does not end one because the standards of proof differ. The criminal case also does not pause a civil deadline.
Why location matters in an Indiana injury claim
A crash on Maysville Road in Fort Wayne will ordinarily be venued in the Allen County courts. The Fort Wayne Police Department is the investigating agency, charging decisions rest with the Allen County Prosecutor's Office, and the court file is where investigative detail can become public.
Indiana's wrongful death statutes control who may bring a claim and what may be recovered. IC 34-23-1-1[3] is the general wrongful death statute, IC 34-23-1-2[4] addresses the death of an adult without dependents, and IC 34-23-2-1[5] addresses the death of a child. Which statute applies depends on the decedent's family circumstances. A wrongful death claim generally must be brought within two years of the death, and the general personal injury limitations period is two years under IC 34-11-2-4[6]. A delay between a crash and criminal charges does not extend those deadlines. More information is available in the firm's guide to Fort Wayne wrongful death claims.
Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[7]. An injured person's recovery is barred if that person's fault is greater than 50 percent; otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. A police report does not determine civil liability.
Insurance coverage can limit the available recovery. Indiana's minimum liability limits under IC 9-25-4-5[8] are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, with $25,000 for property damage. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[9], and depending on the policy it can apply to hit-and-run and unidentified-vehicle crashes. If a driver was performing work for a company at the time of a crash, commercial or contingent coverage may also be relevant, but that fact has not been established here.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm represents Fort Wayne and Allen County families in pedestrian and hit-and-run cases. It can identify policies that may respond, request police and coroner records, preserve evidence, and explain how a civil claim relates to a criminal case. You can request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Sources
- 21Alive's review of Allen County court documents (21alivenews.com) ↩
- 21Alive's initial crash report (21alivenews.com) ↩
- IC 34-23-1-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-23-1-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-23-2-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-11-2-4 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-51-2-6 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
