MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – A 78-year-old Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged with a felony for leaving the scene of a serious injury crash after striking a bicyclist and fleeing the scene on US 41.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), John Figgie, 78, of Chesterfield, Massachusetts, was driving a sport utility vehicle northbound on US 41, north of Seagate Drive, on Thursday, just after 3 PM. Figgie had reportedly been involved in a previous hit-and-run crash in Sarasota County.
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At the same time, a 78-year-old Sarasota man was riding an electric bicycle northbound in the bicycle lane on US 41. Figgie’s vehicle drifted into the bicycle lane, colliding with the bicyclist.
The bicyclist sustained critical injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Figgie fled the scene, continuing northbound on US 41.
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Approximately half a mile later, Figgie was involved in a third collision, a rear-end crash with a van driven by a 35-year-old man from Covington, Kentucky. This collision caused disabling damage to Figgie’s vehicle. Neither the van driver nor Figgie was injured in the rear-end collision.
FHP troopers arrested Figgie at the scene. He was charged with felony leaving the scene of a serious injury crash, along with other moving violations, and was booked into the Manatee County Jail.
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