by Debbie Burke
Flock camera – Public Domain
Today’s story is a truly a crime. An innocent woman was jailed for 13 days because a Flock camera captured an image of her vehicle that just happened to be in the vicinity of a fatal traffic accident.
On the night of October 4, 2025, three people were killed in a chain reaction crash involving a motorcycle and multiple vehicles on Interstate 4 near the Volusia and Seminole county line in Florida. Because of dark road conditions and a semitruck that blocked views, witnesses who called 911 gave varied descriptions of an SUV or Dodge Durango, either black or maroon or white, driving erratically and swerving across lanes. One witness recalled a partial license plate number “458.”
No cameras recorded the actual accident. However, a Flock camera located three miles beyond the accident location captured a license plate of a black Dodge Durango owned by Lindsey Isaacs, 23. Her license plate did not have numbers “458.”
A Florida Highway Patrol corporal decided the Flock camera shot was enough reason to impound Ms. Isaac’s Durango, even though the vehicle had no visible damage other than what the corporal called a “smudge or rub marks.” The sworn affidavit submitted to the court can be read at this link.
Ms. Isaacs protested she had not been in an accident and had time-stamped receipts that proved her whereabouts that night. She had driven on that road but had already passed the location before the collision occurred.
Per a Fox news report by Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy.com:
“The Flock camera hit was far from the only information investigators had. A 911 caller described a maroon Dodge Durango and provided part of its license plate number. Later, investigators also found red or maroon paint transfer on a Ford Focus involved in the crash.”
Yet Ms. Isaacs’s undamaged black Durango remained impounded for months.
Then on April 17, 2026, Lindsey Isaacs was arrested on three counts of vehicular homicide, plus numerous additional charges, and put in solitary confinement. Her initial bond hearing was denied.
She was finally released after spending a total of 13 days incarcerated.
On May 22, 2026, all charges against her were dropped.
Meanwhile, an investigation by Florida Highway Patrol’s Special Investigation and Reconstruction Team (SIRT) determined there were “discrepancies” in the initial report. Despite the sworn affidavit by the FHP corporal who impounded Lindsey Isaacs’s black Durango, SIRT found no damage on the vehicle.
A WHSV3.com article by Emily Featherstone and Brendan Keefe reports a group of motorcyclists and drivers had been together at a party earlier in the evening prior to the accident. When they were interviewed, they stated Alisa Lee Montalvo, 46, was present at the gathering and was driving a maroon Dodge Durango.
Following the accident, one witness stated he drove past and recognized Montalvo sitting in her badly damaged maroon Durango, with a deployed airbag, parked at the side of the highway. He believed she had stopped due to the accident, so he continued driving.
Montalvo subsequently left the scene of the fatal accident without reporting it.
The license plate on Montalvo’s Durango included the numbers “458.”
Investigators located a man who said Montalvo had paid him to repair her Durango three days after the accident. She told him the damage happened because of hydroplaning. Replacement scrap parts were used that didn’t match the original paint.
On May 12, 2026, a search warrant was issued for the maroon Dodge Durango owned by Alisa Lee Montalvo. Investigators confirmed extensive repairs had recently been made on the vehicle. An airbag had been deployed but not replaced. Montalvo never reported the accident to insurance or law enforcement.
An affidavit for an arrest warrant for Montalvo was filed on May 22, 2026, charging her with three counts of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of fatalities and serious injuries, and tampering with or fabricating evidence. She was arrested and jailed. On May 29, a judge denied her request for bond.
Lindsey Isaacs has filed suit against two FHP officers as individuals for false arrest, wrongful imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. She is requesting a jury trial.
The corporal responsible for Ms. Isaacs’s arrest has been promoted to sergeant.
Ms. Isaacs’s attorney Patrick J. McGeehan summarized information and photos of her ordeal at this website.
On August 31, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered Flock cameras and all automated license plate readers (ALPRs) removed from the state highway system.
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TKZers: Who do you think bears responsibility for this miscarriage of justice?
Are there ALPRs (automatic license plate readers) in your area?
Do you believe they are effective in solving crimes?
Are the risks associated with ALPRs worth it?
I truly hope Ms. Isaacs wins her case against the police. That is horrible injustice and very scary. She had to be in jail for 13 days. I’m sure this definitely affected her mental state. And the officer being promoted is also horrible. He did terrible police work and gets a promotion. Imagine what he probably does to other innocent people.
Jillian, I expect if you and I were in the jury pool for that trial, the defense would get rid of us in a hurry. Thanks for stopping by.
Flock cameras are in use in the San Antonio area and there has been much discussion about it. The sheriff of the county says they’re invaluable in crime fighting/solving. Citizens argue they’re an invasion of privacy. They remind me of the cameras used by “the machine” and “Samaritan” in the TV show “Person of Interest.” They’re being removed here, but my husband says he’s read that they are being replaced by cameras from another company w/a different name. Flock is taking all the flack, but they’re not the only ones in the business. We complain about these cameras, but still have AI-driven devices in our house that are “listening” to everything we say (at least we do here at the Irvin residence) so I’m not sure we’re grasping the entire breadth of the issue of “invasion of privacy.” What you describe in this true crime incident will likely become more common with time, Debbie.
Kelly, I fear you’re right. Person of Interest definitely predicted the surveillance state we’re now in. For the sake of convenience and safety, we’ve given up our rights to privacy and autonomy.
Who’s watching the watchers?
LPRs (License Plate Readers) were set up on the beach road near my house. Most people thought they were simply signs reminding drivers to slow down. I’m glad they’re gone.
Elaine, you and many other Floridians are glad.
I think they go too far.
I was wondering if this case going so wrong for an innocent young woman was predicated on the desire by local LE to prove the value of the cameras.
I hope she wins her lawsuit big-time, and that those who failed to investigate thoroughly, and lied, get what’s coming to them.
Deb, I just found this You Tube of yesterday’s Senate hearing about Ms. Isaacs’s case https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Vfh-Z9I24
Glad this situation is getting national attention.
Thank you so much for this story, Debbie . God bless Governor Ron DeSantis. Prayers for Lindsey Isaacs.
You’re so welcome, Mary Ellen. Injustices like this need to be stopped.