Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Evelyn Carter Reynolds, 49, of Old Town, was arrested early Wednesday after authorities said she struck a pedestrian at West University Avenue and SW 13th Street, then left without stopping to provide assistance. During her court appearance, Reynolds said she works as a driver for Uber and Lyft.
According to a Gainesville Police Department report, the collision occurred around 1:49 a.m. Oct. 15. The victim was walking through the crosswalk on SW 13th Street at West University Avenue when she was hit by a red or burgundy SUV. The vehicle continued south on SW 13th Street without stopping.
One witness told police she saw the SUV run over the lower portion of the pedestrian’s body.
The victim suffered a chipped tooth, multiple cuts and abrasions, and swelling in her legs and ankles, the officer reported. She was still undergoing evaluation for possible internal injuries when the arrest affidavit was completed.
The victim told officers she had waited for the pedestrian signal before entering the crosswalk. She said she was struck from behind, fell to the ground and immediately began experiencing pain in the lower half of her body.
Police later located the SUV on SW 13th Street, approximately 19 blocks south of the crash site.
A passenger in the SUV told officers that Reynolds said she had hit what she believed was trash in the roadway. When officers contacted Reynolds, she reportedly volunteered that she had struck trash and looked in her rearview mirror for an ambulance.
After being advised of her Miranda rights, Reynolds reportedly said she hit something she thought was trash while turning right from West University Avenue onto SW 13th Street. She told investigators that she looked behind her and saw three people in the roadway who appeared to be gathering the debris. Reynolds said the road was clear when she turned and maintained that she did not realize she had struck a person; she said she would have stopped if she had known.
Reynolds was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury. She has no reported criminal history. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $50,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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