A Fruitland Park man was arrested after hitting a 15-year-old with a truck as he crossed the street and leaving to go to work.
An officer spoke with a woman over the phone about a hit-and-run, later found to involve 28-year-old Garrett Edward Feustel, that happened at 6:30 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
The complainant advised that her 15-year-old nephew, the victim, was in the area of Dixie Avenue and Berckman Street while waiting for his school bus. He left a nearby convenience store and began to walk southbound along Dixie Avenue. He eventually tried to cross Berckman Street, the report said.
At that time, a white Ford F-250 pickup truck was traveling southbound on Dixie Avenue and intending to make a left turn onto Berckman Street. The truck did not stop for the stop sign and struck the victim as he crossed the road. He was initially hit by the left front corner of the truck, at which point he rolled down the left side until his head hit the mirror, the report said.
After the accident, the driver of the truck, Feustel, stopped in the roadway, rolled down the window and asked the victim if he was okay. He told Feustel he was, and the truck left the scene. The report noted the victim did not tell the complainant of the incident until midday.
Upon learning of the incident, the complainant went to the convenience store where the victim was leaving and asked to see surveillance footage of the incident. She recorded a copy of the video with her cellphone. She then discovered that the vehicle responsible for the incident was parked nearby at Trinity Constructors, located at 105 E Berckman St., Suite C, the report said.
The complainant went to the business and got the truck’s license plate. She also spoke with someone at the business and asked about the owner of the vehicle, but he was not in the office at that time. According to her, the victim described Feustel as “burly” with a beard. The report noted she was late reporting the incident to law enforcement because she had multiple appointments for her children when they got out of school.
A check of the license plate revealed Feustel was the truck’s registered owner. His photo showed he had a thick beard and a full head of hair, leading the officer to believe he matched the description given by the victim. The officer called him to talk about the incident, and Feustel stated he knew exactly why he did, the report said.
When asked to describe what happened, Feustel stated he was driving to work on Dixie Avenue. He turned onto Berckman Street, at which point he struck a person as they crossed the street. He believed the person hit the mirror on his truck, the report said.
Immediately after the crash, Feustel stopped and asked if they were okay. The officer clarified that he did not get out of the truck, just rolled down the window and poked his head out to ask. The officer asked why he did not get out to check on the person or call for help, to which he said it did not cross his mind, the report said.
Feustel thought it was okay because the person did not appear to be injured and said they were okay. Throughout the conversation, it was apparent he knew the person he struck was a minor, the report said.
The officer then responded to 7-Star convenience store, located at 103 N Dixie Ave., which was the business the victim left right before the incident. He spoke with a clerk who forwarded him the surveillance footage. The video was consistent with the complainant’s account, but the footage was very grainy and not of good quality, the report said.
The officer next went to the complainant’s address to speak with the victim. He informed the officer that his right arm and shoulder blade were sore, which was where the initial impact occurred. His neck was also sore due to his head being struck by the truck’s mirror. The report noted his left ear started ringing after the impact with the mirror but had since stopped.
The victim’s account of the incident reported that he was crossing East Berckman Street and was a few steps into the roadway when he saw the truck approaching him. He thought the vehicle was going to stop, so he briefly continued walking. After realizing it was not going to stop, he took a step backward, the report said.
At that point, the vehicle’s left front headlight struck the victim on his right shoulder and spun him around. He left side of his head then immediately hit the truck’s mirror. The impact knocked his glasses to the ground, damaging them, the report said.
Feustel rolled his back left window down and asked the victim if he was okay. The victim stated he was, and Feustel left the scene, the report said.
While speaking with the victim, the officer observed a large red mark on the back of his right arm and up to his shoulder area. He asked about the glasses and learned the right side of the frame had been damaged, but they were still functional, the report said.
Feustel was ultimately arrested on charge of hit-and-run (with injuries) and transported to Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $5,000 bond.