A 65-year-old driver was jailed after he allegedly struck a motorcyclist in Eustis and fled the scene to get his leaking radiator fixed.
The crash occurred at about 8:54 a.m. June 15 at the intersection of County Road 19A and State Road 19. A witness told police he heard a loud crash and saw a motorcyclist fall into the median while a gray pickup truck with front-end damage continued northbound toward Umatilla. The motorcyclist was treated at the scene by Lake County EMS and the Eustis Fire Department. He was transported to a trauma center in Sanford with a broken ankle.
About 18 minutes after the crash, the driver of the pickup, identified as Dwayne Terrell of Weirsdale, contacted dispatch to report he had been involved in the collision. Shortly after, a mechanic at Action Automotive in Umatilla flagged down officers to report that Terrell had just pulled his truck into the business.
The mechanic told police that Terrell admitted to hitting a motorcycle but did not appear concerned about the rider’s condition. Instead, he immediately began asking how long it would take to repair his truck’s leaking radiator. The mechanic prompted Terrell to contact dispatch about the crash.
Terrell told an officer he left the scene because his cell phone was not functioning properly and he needed to find a place to call 911. He also claimed he did not remain at the crash site because of the extreme heat and his history of suffering heat-related medical issues. However, the arresting officer noted the crash occurred in a highly trafficked area where Terrell easily could have found immediate assistance.
Terrell was arrested by the Eustis Police Department on a felony charge of leaving the scene of a crash with bodily injury, and he was also issued a traffic citation for careless driving. He was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.