| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: TAYLOR, TROY 0700 (AR16-18246) THE DRIVER OF ANY VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A CRASH RESULTING ONLY IN DAMAGE TO A VEHICLE OR OTHER PROPERTY DRIVEN OR ATTENDED BY ANY PERSON, SHALL IMMEDIATELY STOP SUCH VEHICLE AT THE SCENE OF SUCH CRASH OR AS CLOSE THERETO AS POSSIBLE, AND SHALL, FORTHWITH RETURN TO AND IN EVERY EVENT SHALL REMAIN AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH UNTIL HE HAD FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE, 316.061(1). ON 021216, AT APPROXIMATELY 1304 HOURS, I RESPONDED TO THE INTERSECTION OF EAST NORVELL BRYANT HIGHWAY AND NORTH DONAVAN AVENUE, IN REFERENCE TO AN ACCIDENT WITH NO INJURIES. SAID ACCIDENT INVOLVED A GRAY COLORED HONDA ODYSSEY AND GREEN IN COLOR LUMINA. UPON ARRIVAL AT APPROXIMATELY 1321 HOURS, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM, MS MARIA QUICK. THE VICTIM DESCRIBED THE DRIVER OF THE CHEVY LUMINA THAT STRUCK HER AS BEING A SCRUFFY WHITE MALE WHO WAS WEARING A CITRUS HILLS WORK SHIRT. THE VICTIM ADVISED THE DRIVER STATED, ''MY NAME IS ERIC HARDING. ''I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT'', AT WHICH TIME HE DROVE AWAY. PRIOR TO THE DRIVER/SUSPECT LEAVING THE SCENE, ONE OF THE VICTIM'S SONS, MR JEROME QUICK, WAS ABLE TO TAKE A REAR VEHICLE SHOT OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLE. THE SHOT CLEARLY DISPLAYED A GREEN IN COLOR CHEVROLET LUMINA BEARING FLORIDA TAG, ESBH97. SAID TAG WAS DISCOVERED TO BE ISSUED THE SUSPECT DRIVER, MR ERIC HARDING. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT SHE AND HER THREE SONS (WITNESSES) WERE STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN ON DONOVAN WAITING TO TURN EAST ONTO WEST NORVELL BRYANT HIGHWAY. AT THAT TIME, THE SUSPECT'S VEHICLE TURNED RIGHT OFF OF WEST NORVELL BRYANT HIGHWAY AND STRUCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT DOOR AND DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR ON THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE. THE SUSPECT VEHICLE THEN PULLED TO THE CURB; HOWEVER, THE DRIVER WAS VERY IRATE WITH THE VICTIM AND ACCUSED HER OF HITTING HIS VEHICLE. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF THE VICTIM ASKING FOR THE SUSPECT'S PROOF OF REGISTRATION; INSURANCE AND HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE, THE SUSPECT STATED HIS NAME AND ABRUPTLY LEFT THE SCENE. THE SUSPECT VEHICLE THEN TRAVELED NORTHBOUND ONTO DONOVAN, AT WHICH TIME THE VICTIM WAS UNSURE IF IT CONTINUED NORTHBOUND OR TURNED WEST ONTO WEST RICH STREET. THE VICTIM STATED THAT SHE AND OF HER SON'S (WITNESSES) WERE INURED DURING THE INCIDENT AND THEIR VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE. WITNESS JOSEPH QUICK, WHO WAS THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER IN THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE, ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND WAS NOT AWARE OF ACCIDENT UNTIL IT OCCURRED. WITNESS JEREMY QUICK (SEATED THIRD ROW LEFT ON DRIVER'S SIDE) PROVIDED ME WITH THE SAME STATEMENT AS HIS BROTHER, WITNESS JOSEPH QUICK. WITNESS JEROME QUICK (SEATED SECOND ROW PASSENGER SIDE IN VEHICLE) STATED HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. HE STATED HE WAS LOOKING TO HIS LEFT WHEN HE OBSERVED THE SUSPECT VEHICLE SWERVE TO THE RIGHT FROM WEST NORVELL BRYANT HIGHWAY AND HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF HIS VEHICLE. HE ADVISED THE SUSPECT VEHICLE THEN STRUCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF HIS MOTHER'S/VICTIM VEHICLE. HE THEN STATED THAT THE SUSPECT VEHICLE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; HOWEVER, THE DRIVER WAS ACTING VERY IRRATIONAL AND BLAMED HIS MOTHER/VICTIM FOR THE ACCIDENT. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, HE HEARD THE SUSPECT/DRIVER STATE, ''I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT'' BEFORE HE PULLED AWAY. THE WITNESS STATED HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE REAR OF THE SUSPECT'S VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PRIOR TO IT LEAVING THE SCENE. I THEN RESPONDED TO THE SUSPECT'S ADDRESS THAT THE VEHICLE IS REGISTERED TO AT 2739 ARTHUR REYNOLDS AVENUE. UPON ARRIVAL, I OBSERVED THE 1995 DARK GREEN FOUR DOOR CHEVY LUMINA TO BE PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OCCUPIED. I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOWED FRESH DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S FRONT CORNER BUMPER. UPON KNOCKING ON THE FRONT DOOR OF THE ABOVE LISTED ADDRESS, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER/SUSPECT, WHO APPEARED INTOXICATED, WITH A STRONG SMELL OF ALCOHOL EMITTING FROM HIS PERSON. DUE TO THE LAPSE OF TIME BETWEEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRING, MY ARRIVAL TIME AT THE SUSPECT'S RESIDENCE AND THE VICTIM MAKING NO CLAIMS OF SMELLING ALCOHOL ON THE SUSPECT, I ADVISED HIM I WAS THERE TO INVESTIGATE AN ACCIDENT WHERE HE LEFT THE SCENE. THE DEFENDANT THEN BECAME VERY IRATE AND DENIED HAVING AN ACCIDENT ON TODAY'S DATE. HE ADVISED HE HAD AN ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT, AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY I WAS HARASSING HIM AND NOT FINDING THE VEHICLE THAT RAN INTO HIM LAST NIGHT. UPON ASKING HIM ABOUT THE ACCIDENT THAT ALLEGEDLY OCCURRED LAST NIGHT, THE DEFENDANT COULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT, WHERE THE DAMAGE WAS TO HIS VEHICLE OR THE DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. AFTER INFORMING THE SUSPECT OF THE INFORMATION I OBTAINED FROM THE VICTIM AND THE WITNESS, HE CONTINUED TO DENY ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE TRAFFIC CRASH AND STATED HE WAS AT HOME AT THAT TIME. I THEN INFORMED THE DEFENDANT HE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR ONE COUNT OF HIT AND RUN WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE ONLY. AFTER PLACING HIM IN HANDCUFFS (DOUBLE LOCKED) THE DEFENDANT STATED, ''OKAY, I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND THE DAMAGE IS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE''. HOWEVER, HE WAS NOT CERTAIN OF WHO HE STRUCK OR THE LOCATION THE TRAFFIC CRASH OCCURRED. THE DEFENDANT'S VEHICLE WAS LEFT ON THE COUNTY ROADWAY. THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORT TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. UPON ARRIVAL, THE DEFENDANT WAS TURNED OVER TO DETENTION STAFF WHERE HE WAS ADVISED HE COULD POST A MONETARY BOND OF $500.00 FOR THE LISTED CHARGE. THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION, A44K83E, FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH WITHOUT INFORMATION AND DAMAGE MORE THAN $50.00. HE WAS INFORMED OF A MANDATORY COURT HEARING SET FOR 030316 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS AT THE CITRUS COUNTY COURT HOUSE. |
