| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: DOYLE, CHAD 0438 (AR09111915) DEFENDANT, BEING THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A CRASH RESULTING IN PROPERTY DAMAGE OVER THE AMOUNT OF $50.00, DID NOT REMAIN AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 316.061(1) ON 111509,I RESPONDED TO THE AREA OF WEST GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD AND SOUTH FIRESIDE WAY IN REFERENCE TO A TWO VEHICLE CRASH WHERE THE SUSPECT VEHICLE HAD LEFT THE SCENE. WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE CRASH, DISPATCH DID ADVISE THERE WAS A WITNESS FOLLOWING THE SUSPECT VEHICLE AND THAT THEY DID PROVIDE A TAG NUMBER OF X07WFJ. I CONTINUED ON TO THE CRASH SCENE, WHERE I MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIMS. I ASCERTAINED THERE WERE NO INJURIES INVOLVED, ONLY PROPERTY DAMAGE. AT THAT TIME, I SPOKE WITH THE WITNESS, WHO WAS ACTUALLY DRIVING WESTBOUND ON GROVER CLEVELAND IN FRONT OF THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD SWERVED INTO HER LANE, WHICH CAUSED HER TO GO OFF THE ROAD. THE DEFENDANT THEN RETURNED BACK ONTO THE EASTBOUND LANE AND, AS SHE LOOKED IN HER MIRROR, SHE WITNESSED THE DEFENDANT AGAIN SWERVE INTO THE WESTBOUND LANE, THIS TIME STRIKING THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE. SHE SAID AS SHE TURNED AROUND, SHE NOTICED THE DEFENDANT SLOW DOWN AND THEN START TO ACCELERATE AWAY FROM THE SCENE, EAST ON GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD. SHE STATED SHE FOLLOWED THE DEFENDANT, WHERE HE MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO COLONY AND THEN A LEFT ONTO WEST HOLIDAY STREET. AS SHE FOLLOWED THE DEFENDANT DOWN WEST HOLIDAY STREET, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO OBTAIN THE FLORIDA TAG NUMBER FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER DOING SO, SHE LOST THE DEFENDANT AS HE WENT DOWN A SMALL DIRT ROAD. I ASKED THE WITNESS IF SHE COULD DESCRIBE THE DRIVER AND THE VEHICLE, TO WHICH SHE STATED THAT IT WAS A FORD PICKUP TRUCK, BLACK IN COLOR, AND THAT THE DRIVER WAS A YOUNG MALE WITH DARK HAIR. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE IN THE VEHICLE. I THEN SPOKE TO DRIVER TWO, WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE THAT WAS HIT, AS WELL AS HIS TWO PASSENGERS. THEY STATED THAT AS THEY TRAVELLED WEST ON GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD, A BLACK PICKUP TRUCK SWERVED INTO THEIR LANE. THEY ATTEMPTED TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE PICKUP TRUCK, BUT THERE WAS NO TIME AND THE TRUCK MADE IMPACT WITH THEM. THE TRUCK STRUCK THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE WITH THE BACK LEFT CORNER OF THE DEFENDANT'S VEHICLE. THE SUBJECTS STATED THAT AS THEY STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THEY THOUGHT THAT THE OTHER DRIVER WAS GOING TO ALSO STOP, BUT HE DID NOT. THEY COULD HEAR THE PICKUP TRUCK ACCELERATING AS HE DROVE EAST ON GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD. THERE WAS A FOURTH PASSENGER IN THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE, A SMALL CHILD, APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR OF AGE. AT THAT TIME CORPORAL PARSONS ADVISED ME VIA RADIO THAT HE HAD GONE TO THE DEFENDANT'S RESIDENCE, WHERE CONTACT WAS MADE . I RESPONDED TO THAT RESIDENCE, WHERE I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT AND IDENTIFIED HIM BY HIS FLORIDA DRIVERS LICENSE. I INFORMED HIM WHO I WAS, AND THAT I WAS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TRAFFIC UNIT. I FURTHER STATED THAT I WAS CONDUCTING A CRIMINAL TRAFFIC CRASH INVESTIGATION IN REFERENCE TO A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED ON GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD, WHERE HIS TRUCK WAS INVOLVED. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT IF HE COULD EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED, TO WHICH HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS UP EXTREMELY LATE THE NIGHT BEFORE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 0200 HOURS WORKING AND THAT HIS BROTHER HAD WOKE HIM THIS MORNING TO TAKE HIM TO WORK. THE DEFENDANT FURTHER STATED THAT AS HE TRAVELLED EAST ON GROVER CLEVELAND BOULEVARD, HE MUST HAVE KEPT FALLING ASLEEP. HE REMEMBERED SWERVING, BUT DID NOT KNOW THAT HE HAD STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. HE DID STATE HE REMEMBERED APPLYING HIS BRAKES AND THEN LOOKED BEHIND HIM AND SAW A VEHICLE STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE NORTHBOUND SHOULDER. THE DEFENDANT ALSO SAID HE SAW THE OCCUPANTS EXIT THE VEHICLE AND START TO RUN AROUND THE AREA OF THE VEHICLE. HE STATED HE LEFT THE AREA AT THAT TIME AND THAT WHEN HE WAS ON WEST HOLIDAY STREET, HE NOTICED A VEHICLE COMING UP BEHIND HIM. HE STATED HE WAS SURE THAT THE DRIVER GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET HIS TAG NUMBER, AND INSTEAD OF TURNING DOWN THE ROAD HE LIVES ON, HE KEPT GOING EAST THROUGH A DIRT PATH AT THE END OF THE ROAD. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO TAKE THAT ROAD AROUND, GOING OUT OF HIS WAY TO RETURN TO HIS RESIDENCE. WHILE SPEAKING WITH THE DEFENDANT AND OBSERVING HIM, HE APPEARED TO BE COHERENT AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE HAVING TROUBLE STAYING AWAKE, AS HE HAD INDICATED. IN ADDITION, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY BLOODSHOT IN HIS EYES. THE DEFENDANT, AT THAT TIME, WAS ADVISED HE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE DEFENDANT WAS HANDCUFFED BEHIND THE BACK, DOUBLE LOCKED, AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. HE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE HE WAS BOOKED AND PROCESSED, AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT $250.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. THE DEFENDANT WAS ALSO ISSUED TWO FLORIDA UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATIONS (UTC), 9654RHUX FOR CARELESS DRIVING REFERENCE A VEHICLE CRASH WITH A CIVIL FINE OF $166.00, PAYABLE WITHIN 30 DAYS TO THE CLERK OF COURT AND 9655RHU1 FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A TRAFFIC CRASH WITH MORE THAN $50.00 PROPERTY DAMAGE (ESTIMATED AT $6,500.00), WITH A MANDATORY COURT DATE OF 120309 AT 1300 HOURS AT THE CITRUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE. THE DEFENDANT WAS ALSO PROVIDED WITH A FACE SHEET FOR THE TRAFFIC REPORT REFERENCE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES (DHSMV) CRASH NUMBER 81556779. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
