Motorcyclist Identifies Hit-and-Run Suspect At Melbourne Hospital

A police search for the driver behind a hit-and-run incident in Melbourne ended in an unusual manner earlier on Friday after the victim in the case recognized the perpetrator while receiving treatment at local hospital.  The official report from the Melbourne Police Department recounted how the incident, which happened very early on Friday morning, took place.  It also included the circumstances surrounding the identification and arrest of the individual believed to be responsible.

Shortly after 4:00 in the morning, a motorcyclist was driving down South Babcock Street in Melbourne when they reached the intersection of South Babcock Street and Brevard Avenue.  For reasons that are not clear, it was while stopped at this intersection that the motorcyclist became involved in an argument with the 21-year-old driver of a four-door Kia.  While the instigating circumstances of the argument are not known, it seems that the interaction became incredibly heated and that the Kia then pursued the motorcyclist throughout the Melbourne section of South Babcock Street.

It was when the two vehicles neared 14 South Babcock Street that the driver of the Kia accelerated and struck the rear of the motorcycle.  Due to the force of the impact, the front bumper of the car became inextricably wedged against the bike’s back tire.  The motorcyclist was unable to free their motorcycle from the car, and eventually they lost control of their bike and were thrown to the ground, where they suffered injuries to their stomach, face, and one of their hands.

The driver of the Kia decided to speed away from the area, leaving the motorcyclist in an unknown condition.

Someone, it is not clear whom, called 9-1-1, and soon the biker was being admitted into a nearby hospital to receive treatment for their injuries.  It was while they were in their hospital bed that the motorcyclist recognized another patient in the hospital.  According to the report, the person recognized by the motorcyclist was the driver of the Kia who had struck them.  The accused individual was in the hospital for a reason not relating to the accident between them and the motorcycle, and after the biker made the identification the police were able to support the claim given other pieces of evidence they obtained.

The individual identified at the hospital was arrested and charged with use of a deadly weapon in aggravated battery.  She is currently being held at the Brevard County Jail Complex.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.