A 22-year-old Ocala man was arrested Sunday after allegedly crashing his SUV into a fence and fleeing before police arrived on the scene.
Cody D. Adams, of 3208 NE 16th Ct., was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and driving with a suspended license as a result of the crash, which happened outside a residence on NE 26th Terrace.
A witness told an Ocala Police officer that he heard a loud crash, looked outside and saw a black GMC Yukon in the yard. He said he saw a young man picking up the bumper from the ground and an elderly female in the passenger seat. The witness said the driver, who did not appear intoxicated, told him they were driving around the corner when they lost control, hydroplaned, left the roadway and hit the fence, according to the police report.
The witness said he went inside and when he came back outside, the SUV had driven away northbound on NE 25th Avenue. The witness provided the license tag number to the officer, according to the report.
The woman who called police said she heard the fence get hit, looked outside and saw a black SUV with a woman standing outside the vehicle. Police contacted a neighbor who said he didn’t see or hear anything, but his son heard a big boom outside, according to the report.
The officer observed visible damage to the fence closest to SW 25th Street, as well as the neighbor’s fence. He traced the tag number to a residence on NE 39th Court, where the owner said the renters had moved out on March 31. The homeowner provided a phone number for the renters and the officer called and spoke to Adams’ father, who put him in contact with his son.
Adams told the officer he hit the fence and left the scene before providing his contact information. He said he thought it was OK to leave because he had the owner’s information and was able to set up a plan to get it fixed. Adams confirmed he was driving and his aunt was in the passenger’s seat. The officer observed damage to the front of the Yukon, according to the report.
After a computer check showed Adams had a suspended license, he admitted that was the reason he left the scene. Adams was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Monday on $1,000 bond. No court date was set.