Woman hit by SUV in parking lot dies

PORT RICHEY Woman hit by SUV in parking lot dies A 65-year-old woman has died after injuries she suf­fered earlier this month, when a driver hit her while backing out of a parking space. The accident hap­pened March 3 outside the Publix at Regency Park Boulevard and Ridge Road. Nitza Loyola-Smith was standing near the rear of a Toyota sport utility vehicle when it backed into her, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Loyola-Smith, of New Port Richey, was taken to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and later transferred to Morton Plant North Bay for her injuries. She died Thursday. The driver, Laverne Nathaniel Mills, 69, of Port Richey, was originally cited for improper backing. The Highway Patrol assigned the case on Friday to its traffic homicide division for additional investigation. St Petersburg Times Pinellas County Daily 447,200 March 26, 2011