Woman accused of hit-and-run death of teen girl could post bail soon

Reporter: Morgan Rynor
Published: Updated:
14-year-old Allana Staiano of North Fort Myers. Credit: Shared with WINK News.

Courtney Gainey, 23, could post 10 percent of her $100,000 bond and walk out of jail Thursday. This comes after she was recently arrested for the hit-and-run death of 14-year-old Allana Staiano in Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers.

Mugshot of Courtney Gainey, 23. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office)
Mugshot of Courtney Gainey, 23. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

Allana’s mother, Christine Gray, doesn’t think it’s fair Gainey could be out of jail when her daughter’s life has ended.

“[Gainey] really doesn’t deserve the opportunity to be out and comfortable waiting her punishment,” Gray said.

Gainey was seen in tears during her first court appearance in Lee County, but Gray says she doesn’t buy the emotions Gainey was showing.

“I would love for her to know that if I had been standing there in front of her when she got arrested with that look on her face she wouldn’t have one,” Gray said. “She was sorry because she was sitting there in a turtle suit for her own protection for something that she had no choice to face because she had no choice. She had no where to run anymore.”

Gray has expressed her anger toward Gainey, angry the woman accused of causing her daughter’s death never stopped to see if she could help save her in any way.

Meanwhile, Gainey’s lawyer says she was never on the run and says she and her counsel were immediately in contact with law enforcement after the crash.

“We wanted to get our ducks in a row, get the information we needed,” attorney Joe Viacava said.

But Gray doesn’t believe that information from Gainey or her attorney.

“That’s a total fabrication,” Gray said. “Her home is just down there. It has been watched.”

When Gainey posts bail, she will be fitted with a monitoring device before leaving.

In Gainey’s arrest report, investigators say she turned herself in at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

“She went to restaurants,” Gray said. My baby girl never gets to do that again. She shouldn’t either.”

Memorial services to be held for Allana

There will be a visitation service held at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral home at 5 p.m. Friday, with a celebration of life at 6 p.m.

Community support amid Allana’s death

Before this latest hit-and-run death of a child, the community has been hard at work to make Lee County safer.

“Unfortunately, this is happening way too much. We never thought, I never thought that another Allana, nevertheless another little girl in North Fort Myers, would have been taken this soon,” said Christy-Lee Iwanow with Benches for our Babes.

The group already has a bench to place at the spot where Allana was killed.

While the bench may not be at a bus stop, like many other benches scattered throughout the community, the group hopes it will serve as a reminder that there are kids in the neighborhood.

“That is a mark to let people know to slow down, to be cautious of your surroundings, to also know to respect the area,” Iwanow said.

Iwanow also says she expects the bench to be placed at Allana’s memorial sometime within the next month and told us she just hopes the family gets justice.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.