64.3 F
Ocala
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Driver intentionally hits man with car, Marion deputies say

A 56-year-old Ocala man was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he was accused of intentionally striking another man with his car.

On Monday, an MCSO deputy responded to a residence on SW 130th Lane in Ocala in reference to an aggravated battery incident. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the male victim who advised that Gregory Hensley had driven around his residence multiple times before hitting him with the car, according to the arrest report.

Gregory Hensley
Gregory Hensley

The victim advised that he saw Hensley driving around, and Hensley allegedly called him out to the street. The victim told the deputy that Hensley then slowed down the car before “speeding up” and striking the victim with it, according to the MCSO report.

After being struck by the car, the victim stated that he fell on the driver’s side of the vehicle and rolled onto the street. The victim advised that Hensley proceeded to drive away after the incident.

The victim described Hensley’s vehicle as a small light blue car, which was the second vehicle that Hensley had been seen driving within a 20-minute time frame. The deputy noted in the report that the victim had cuts “up and down his arm,” which appeared to be from falling onto the ground.

The deputy spoke with a witness who corroborated the victim’s statement. The victim’s wife also spoke with the deputy and advised that she did not see the incident, but she heard the victim fall to the ground. In the MCSO report, the deputy noted that the victim’s wife had two videos recorded on her smartphone that showed Hensley driving past the residence several times in a four-minute span.

The deputy made contact with Hensley at his residence. After being read his Miranda rights, Hensley claimed that he was traveling down the victim’s road when the victim “started throwing rocks at his blue Camry.” He advised that he headed home, retrieved another vehicle, and returned to the incident location to “confront” the victim, according to the MCSO report.

While speaking with Hensley, the deputy observed that the blue Camry did not appear to have any damage, and the MCSO report stated that there were no signs of rocks in the incident area. The deputy then observed the exterior of the second vehicle, which matched the vehicle seen on the videos that were recorded by the victim’s wife. The second vehicle had a dent on the hood that was consistent with the victim’s recollection of events.

Hensley was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. While at the jail, Hensley spontaneously stated, “They (expletive) me off and if he were to have fallen into my car when I was driving, it is what it is,” according to the MCSO report.

Hensley is currently being held at the jail on $5,000 bond, and he is facing a felony charge for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, according to jail records.