MIAMI (WSVN) - A 20-year-old man has made an appearance in court after he allegedly left the scene of a crash after he hit a 12-year-old child riding a bicycle in Miami.
AC Jovani Herrera has been charged with fleeing from the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury and appeared in court, Monday.
According to the arrest report, witnesses stated Herrera fled northbound from the scene and returned back later. Not long after, witnesses said he got out of the driver’s seat with his hands up and apologized.
His attorney in court argued Herrera is a high school student who did not mean to hurt the victim, but the judge did not appear to show any leniency.
“The bike ran into him,” his attorney said. “The bike was out of control recklessly. He’s not charged with causing that accident. He returned to the scene immediately. He was away from the scene for five minutes.”
“Yeah, after the witnesses chased him down, and he called his mother and his grandmother to talk sense into him to go back,” Judge Mindy S. Glazer said.
City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue crews responded to the crash near Northwest 14th Avenue and 29th Street just before 6:30 p.m., Saturday.
Herrera is accused of being behind the wheel of a gray 2011 Toyota Corolla that refused to stop after striking a 12-year-old on a bicycle and leaving him critically injured.
The child was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition with serious injuries, including multiple skull fractures and a brain bleed.
“He’s been there Saturday, Sunday, now Monday,” Herrera’s attorney said. “He’s onto his third day here just because the officer writes on there for no legitimate purpose there, ‘Do not release the defendant,’ and corrections pays attention to that and can’t find out.”
“Well, Mr. Schwartz, let me correct you,” Glazer said. “He’s not a child. He’s a 20-year-old man, but the 12-year-old child victim he hit was, in fact, a child who may not live to see 13 because he was reckless.”
Herrera was granted a $7,500 bond and has since bonded out. He was ordered to house arrest after his release and was also given a no drive order.
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