Background: News footage of the scene in Florida”s Orange County where Ronald Bear was killed in an alleged hit-and-run (WKMG). Inset: Julia Blackwell (Orange County Sheriff’s Office).
A Florida woman was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run incident that killed a man who was trying to help her.
Julia Blackwell, 21, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with death after police said she fatally struck 59-year-old Ronald Bear with her pickup truck on May 16. According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Blackwell was with a group of friends and called Bear for help getting her truck out of a muddy ditch on the side of a highway early that morning. Bear arrived at the scene with two relatives. Blackwell’s silver pickup was stuck and another black pickup waited nearby.
One of the relatives said Bear attached a tow strap to the black truck, which pulled the silver truck out of the mud. After Bear went to remove the tow strap, Blackwell was behind the wheel of the silver truck and allegedly hit the gas, knocking Bear to the ground.
The witness told police that while Bear was still on the ground, Blackwell allegedly backed over him. According to the complaint, Blackwell then drove away and got stuck in more mud.
Another witness told police that he was with Blackwell but did not see her strike Bear. He told police that he heard Blackwell’s passenger yell, “You killed him.” Blackwell then got out of the silver pickup, with the tow strap still attached to the front, and got into the black pickup with her passenger, who drove them both away from the scene.
According to the complaint, Blackwell went home to her mother’s house, where she eventually agreed to speak to police on Tuesday. Blackwell reportedly told police that while she was behind the wheel of her truck, believing she was still stuck in the mud, she heard a “banging sound” and thought there was someone in front of her truck. She then put the truck in reverse, at which point she heard Bear “yelling” while he was on the ground.
Police responded to the scene just before 6 a.m. Bear had been pronounced dead by medical personnel about half an hour earlier.
Bear’s family told CBS affiliate WKMG that he was always willing to help people. They said they hope additional charges will be filed in connection with Bear’s death.
Blackwell is in custody at the Orange County Jail, where she is being held on $15,000 bond. Her next court date was not immediately available.
