4 days after a near fatal hit-and-run crash along Weber Blvd North near Fifth Avenue North, the driver who allegedly left a woman to die has been arrested.
Richard Jean Baptiste, 61, of Golden Gate Estates, was taken into custody at a home near Jung Blvd Tuesday. The vehicle, a 2012 Mazda CX-9 SUV, was discovered in the driveway, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
On Saturday, a 39-year-old Naples woman , later identified by friends and family as Hollie Masino, was riding her bicycle when a car crashed into her around 6:25 p.m. along the local road. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, she was thrown off the bicycle and later taken to a local hospital. NBC2 is working to find out more about her current condition. The driver fled the scene.
Passerby spotted her body lying in a driveway, and contacted local law enforcement and EMS.
"I just couldn't believe that somebody could do that. How can you sleep at night knowing you hit somebody? You don't know if they're okay or not? You didn't go check to see if they were okay. You didn't call 911 for help or anything. How can you sleep at night? I don't understand that. I just don't," said Robby McLoyd, who alongside his wife saw Masino and stayed with the Naples woman until first responders arrived.
Friends of Masino tell NBC2 that the 39-year-old was a emergency room nurse, who spent her life working tirelessly to save lives. They were unaware if her condition has improved as of Tuesday.
"It really, really, really hurts you. Here's a person who looks out for the general public, and to her, it never mattered ... to emergency physicians and also to hospital nurses, E.R. nurses, we it doesn't matter to us where the patients come from. There are patients and we care for them ... it's disgusting," said Jeff Panozzo, a friend and coworker of Masino's.
Jean Baptiste is facing charges for leaving the scene with serious injuries.
Hit-and-run penalties for a crash involving injuries can include the following:
- Second- or third-degree felony
- Revoked license for at least three years
- Up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine
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