A 30-year-old Ocala man was arrested at a nearby gas station after he fled the scene of a two-vehicle crash.
On Thursday, January 20 at around 3:30 p.m., the Florida Highway Patrol was notified of a crash that occurred on NE 35th Street in Ocala.
An FHP trooper headed to the scene and was informed by the Jacksonville Communication Center that one of the drivers involved in the crash, later identified as Kurt Howard Bowen, Jr., had fled the scene.
A witness told the trooper that Bowen had driven over the double yellow lines while traveling eastbound on NE 35th Street near the intersection of NE 36th Avenue. The witness saw Bowen travel into oncoming traffic and collide head-on with a silver vehicle.
After the collision, the witness stated that Bowen’s vehicle struck a wooden fence owned by The Villas at Spanish Oaks. Bowen then exited the vehicle and fled on foot.
Shortly after 4 p.m., an Ocala Police Department officer apprehended Bowen at the Diamond Oil located at 3511 NE 36th Avenue.
Bowen’s face was bloody, and he had a large laceration on his head from the crash. Ocala Fire Rescue was called to the scene for a medical evaluation.
Bowen told the officer that the vehicle he was driving belonged to a relative. He claimed that he lost control of the vehicle, and he fled to the nearby gas station because “he was scared.”
After speaking with the officer, Bowen was arrested and transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center. Upon being discharged from the hospital, he was transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $14,000 bond.
He is facing a felony charge for hit and run (failure to remain at a crash involving serious injuries) and a misdemeanor charge for hit and run (leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage).
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, February 22 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.