| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: PAUL, MATTHEW 0085 (AR10117426) THE DRIVER OF ANY VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY TO ANOTHER OR WITHOUT RENDERING AID, 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 SHE HAD FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF 316.027(1)(A). ON 101710 AT 1735 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE AREA OF NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND EAST NORTH AVENUE IN INVERNESS IN REFERENCE TO A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED . I WAS ADVISED WHILE ENROUTE, THAT A WHITE PONTIAC GRAN PRIX HAD LEFT THE SCENE SOUTHBOUND ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND WAS BEING DRIVEN BY A WHITE OR HISPANIC FEMALE IN HER LATE 20'S OR EARLY 30'S AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEARING FLORIDA TAG 068WIM. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER, MR RONALD MIGHELL AND WITNESSES OF THE CRASH. MR MIGHELL STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE HE WAS BEING TAILGATED BY A WHITE VEHICLE THAT WHILE APPROACHING EAST NORTH AVENUE. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM WAS MAKING A TURN ON TO THE ROAD. MR MIGHELL TOLD ME THAT AS HE SLOWED FOR THE VEHICLE, THE WHITE VEHICLE BEHIND HIM CAME VERY CLOSE TO STRIKING THE REAR OF HIS TRUCK. MR MIGHELL CONTINUED BY TELLING ME WHEN THE ROADWAY WAS CLEAR HE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, WHEN A CAT RAN ACROSS THE ROADWAY OF NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND HE HAD TO BRAKE AGAIN SUDDENLY, AT WHICH TIME, THE WHITE VEHICLE STRUCK THE REAR OF HIS TRUCK. THERE WERE SKID MARKS ON THE ROADWAY ALONG WITH DEBRIS AT THE POINT OF THE COLLISION. MR MIGHELL TOLD ME THAT THE SUSPECT/DRIVER OF THE WHITE VEHICLE EXITED HER VEHICLE AND APPROACHED HIS TRUCK YELLING OBSCENITIES AND DEMANDING TO KNOW WHY HE HAD TO SLAM ON HIS BRAKES. MR MIGHELL TOLD ME THAT THE WOMAN THEN GOT BACK INTO HER VEHICLE AND DROVE SOUTHBOUND ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE. I THEN SPOKE WITH THE WITNESS, MS WANDA SHELL, WHO IS MR MIGHELL'S MOTHER. MS SHELL TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE APPROXIMATELY THREE OR FOUR CAR LENGTHS BEHIND MR MIGHELL. MS SHELL TOLD ME THAT THE SUSPECT VEHICLE PULLED OFF ON A SIDE STREET ON TO NORTH CROFT AVENUE IN BETWEEN MR MIGHELL AND HERSELF. MS SHELL TOLD ME THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS ODD THAT THE VEHICLE ATTEMPT TO GET IN BETWEEN THE TWO SOUTHBOUND VEHICLES DUE TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM. MS SHELL TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD TO BRAKE IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE SUSPECT VEHICLE. MS SHELL TOLD ME THAT SHE WATCHED AS THE SUSPECT VEHICLE ACCELERATED SOUTHBOUND ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO MR MIGHELL'S VEHICLE AND TOLD ME SHE THOUGHT AT ONE POINT, THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HIT MR MIGHELL'S VEHICLE WHILE SHE WAS ACCELERATING. MS SHELL THEN WATCHED AS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MR MIGHELL TURNED ON TO EAST NORTH AVENUE AND SAW A CAT RUN ACROSS THE ROAD MOMENTS LATER. MS SHELL SAW MR MIGHELL BRAKE THEN THE SUSPECT VEHICLE STRUCK THE REAR OF MR MIGHELL'S VEHICLE. MS SHELL ALSO STATED SHE WATCHED AND ALSO EXITED HER VEHICLE AS THE SUSPECT YELLED PROFANITIES AT MR MIGHELL. MR MIGHELL ADVISED THAT HE HAD SEVERE NECK PAIN AND WAS HOLDING THE BASE OF HIS NECK AND DID REQUEST TO BE TRANSPORTED TO CITRUS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (CMH) . DEPUTY STRICKLAND OBSERVED A WHITE PONTIAC GRAN PRIX PARKED IN FRONT OF THE SHELL STATION LOCATED AT NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND HAD A FLORIDA TAG OF 068WIM. THAT VEHICLE BELONGS TO THE SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS MS NATESHA COOPER. DEPUTY STRICKLAND ALONG WITH OTHER DEPUTIES CHECKED THE AREA BUT COULD NOT FIND THE SUSPECT. AT 1818 HOURS, A TELEPHONE CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM MS COOPER STATING THAT SHE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH EARLIER ON NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND THAT THE OCCUPANTS OF THE OTHER VEHICLES HAD BEEN THREATENING HER AND YELLING RACIAL SLURS AT HER. SHE STATED IN HER TELEPHONE CALL SHE WANTED TO MEET DEPUTIES AT THE MURPHY GAS STATION AT THE WAL-MART IN INVERNESS. DEPUTY SKINNER AND I RESPONDED AND COULD NOT LOCATE MS COOPER. DEPUTY SKINNER RESPONDED TO MS COOPER'S MOTHER'S RESIDENCE AND AT APPROXIMATELY 1910 HOURS, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER TELEPHONE CALL FROM MS COOPER STATING THAT SHE WAS AT THE SHELL STATION AT NORTH INDEPENDENCE HIGHWAY AND EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY. I THEN RESPONDED TO THE AREA AND CONTINUED THE CRASH INVESTIGATION. MS COOPER TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS AFRAID FOR HER WELL BEING AFTER MR MIGHELL AND MS SHELL WERE VERBALLY ATTACKING HER AND SHE TOLD ME THAT FROM THE TIME THE CRASH HAD OCCURRED TO THE TIME SHE HAD LEFT, SHE WAS ON SCENE FOR TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT SHE DID PROVIDE MR MIGHELL WITH HER NAME AND HER MOTHER'S TELEPHONE NUMBER PRIOR TO LEAVING. SHE TOLD ME THAT AFTER LEAVING THE SCENE SHE WENT TO THE SHELL STATION AT NORTH CROFT AVENUE AND EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY WHERE SHE SAW A FRIEND WHO AGREED TO TAKE HER HOME. MS COOPER COULD NOT GIVE AN EXPLANATION OTHER THAN BEING AFRAID ON SCENE OF WHY SHE DID NOT CONTACT THIS AGENCY SOONER THAN SHE HAD. MS COOPER WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH WITHOUT PROVIDING REQUIRED INFORMATION. BOND WAS SET AT $5,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE AND ALSO WRITTEN UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION (UTC) NUMBER 2068WBN1 FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH INVOLVING INJURY WITH A MANDATORY COURT DATE OF 110410 AT 1300 HOURS AND UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION (UTC) NUMBER 2069WBN2 FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED/REVOKED UNKNOWINGLY WITH A CIVIL FINE OF $155.00, AND UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION (UTC) NUMBER 2070WBN6 FOR FAILURE TO USE DUE CARE WITH A CIVIL FINE AMOUNT OF $166.00. THE TAG TO THE VEHICLE WAS SEIZED PER DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY AND SAFETY MOTOR VEHICLE (DHSMV). "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
