PALM COAST, Fla. — A 76-year-old Florida woman is accused of driving away from the scene of a hit-and-run with the other driver clinging to her car's hood as she took off down the highway, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said.
It happened on the afternoon of Sept. 30 in the area of Palm Coast Parkway & Belle Terre Parkway. Witnesses reportedly told deputies that 76-year-old Cheryl Henderson was involved in a relatively minor crash with another driver.
However, Henderson reportedly refused to stop and tried to drive away. The other driver, an unidentified man, reportedly told deputies he tried to get her to stop by using his car to block her. He then got out of his car, and that's when he said Henderson sped up and drove toward him, forcing him to jump onto the hood of her car in order to avoid getting run over.
Henderson then sped away with the man clinging to the hood of her car, traffic cameras show. The man told deputies Henderson reached speeds of about 50 mph.
Henderson continued driving for at least two miles, despite having the man on her car, until she was forced off the road by someone who had witnessed the crash. The man was reportedly not badly hurt, deputies said.
“This could have become a deadly incident,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Never hit another person with a car. Thankfully, that victim survived without any serious injuries but I’m sure it had to be a scary moment to the victim holding on to the hood and the other witnesses. She should never be allowed to touch a steering wheel again.”
Henderson was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She has since bonded out of jail, according to the sheriff's office.