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Bond Upped To $250,000, Charges Upgraded Against Man That FHP Says Hit Two Kids On Quintette Road
April 21, 2020
Charges have been upgraded against the man accused of a hit and run that claimed the life of one juvenile and injured a second two weeks ago, and a judge increased his bond to a quarter million dollars.
On April 6 about 8 p.m., Hailey Locke and Rylee Simmons, both students at Ransom Middle School, were on Quintette Road approaching Carrington Lake Boulevard when they were struck by a Ford Escape driven by 58-year old Robert William Etheridge, according to the FHP. Troopers said he fled the scene and called the FHP about 24 minutes later to say he thought he had hit a deer.
The windshield was cracked in the crash, but not enough to obscure the driver’s view, according to an arrest report. The area in which the collision occurred was lit with multiple overhead lights, the weather was clear and there was a full moon, FHP said.
Etheridge was arrested Monday on an upgraded charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. He is also still facing one count of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury.
He was previously charged with two counts of leaving the scene of the crash with serious bodily injury and released from jail on a $30,000 bond on April 9.
Monday morning, Judge Jennie Kinsey ordered Etheridge to turn himself into the Escambia County Jail by 4 p.m., according to the State Attorney’s Office. She increased his bond on the original leaving the scene count from $15,000 to $50,000 and set bond at $200,000 for leaving the scene of a traffic crash involving death, for a combined total bond of $250,000.
Escambia County Jail records indicated he was released on a $250,000 bond 20 minutes after he surrendered to authorities Monday afternoon.
Comments
12 Responses to “Bond Upped To $250,000, Charges Upgraded Against Man That FHP Says Hit Two Kids On Quintette Road”
REGARDING:
“his pee-poor excuses as to why he left the scene, are still an admission of guilt on his behalf….Correct?”
Actually, no, it is not.
I hate it happened. It was a terrible thing. The very thought of doing it gives me nightmares. Adam Evans is probably right about it torturing the one who did it. Remembering it would torture me for the rest of my life.
Rylee was a good kid.
Nonetheless, jury instructions and Florida law require “knowledge that an impact occurred with persons or property.” If he actually thought he hit a deer, he did not realize he hit a person (since deers are not persons and they are not property, something owned). If the jury believes him, they will find him not guilty of hit-and-run if they faithfully apply state law 316.027(2)(b):
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0316/0316.html
If they are convinced and they acquit Mr. Ethredge, it will not mean he got off Scot-free, not if he has any conscience.
Mainly, I wish it never happened.
Don’t you think Robert William Etheridge wishes that the two children weren’t in the road in the dark and he didn’t see them. Don’t you think Robert William Etheridge wishes he wouldn’t have made the alleged criminal mistake of leaving the scene. Under the American system of justice, people charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Constitution has guaranteed that people charged with a crime have a right to be released pretrial, except in limited instances. By allowing a person to remain free while awaiting trial, the state avoids punishing a person awaiting a determination of guilt – a fundamental principle of our justice system.
Etheridge has an attorney and he posted bond. Would have needed 10% of the bond amount to avoid being held in jail. Mr. West, I am so very sorry for the loss of your son. All the comments I have read about him show that he was a kind person and was loved by many.
What I don’t understand is why he was even granted a bond to begin with. Our judicial system is so screwed up for allowing him to ever see the light of day outside of a jail or prison!
First of all his ridiculous statement, or as I would call it, his pee-poor excuses as to why he left the scene, are still an admittion of guilt on his behalf….Correct? Okay, well a life was taken and another life permanently damaged, but he’s bought himself a “golden ticket” so our judicial system says it’s totally fine! Here sir…since you are fortunate enough to afford $250,000 for a bond, you’re free to go run over a few more children! Are you kidding me?
Second of all, I want to know what kind of person kills and injures another human being due to their own negligence and then can morally accept a ridiculous bond given by the very same people who are appointed to protect himself and his loved ones? Honestly? Who can do this and still sleep at night? Outside of a jail or prison cell? Morality would be accepting your fault and insisting that you be punished by the fullest extent in which the law allowed!
Third of all and last of all, When we are given a driver’s license, we have to agree with the rules and regulations governed by that state. Where does it say in any driver’s manual that if you strike a person with your vehicle, don’t stop and just drive away? “Someone please show me that manual” is the question that Judge should have asked! “NO MANUAL EQUALS NO BOND!!!
Please, all parents, please know where your kids are. It is difficult to see at night. I personally would not think anywhere on Quintette Road is a safe place for children or adults to be walking. Same for Woodbine and Berryhill. Anything can happen. Now three families lives are forevermore changed. Theres plenty of guilt and despair to go around. Tragedy can happen to anyone. I pray for God to ease your pain.
The fact that he is claiming he is broke and that he basically had STATE min insurance me as the father of Rylee would greatly like to know how he can afford to be out while he is sleeping in his own bed my son is gone if he would have stopped it might have made a difference o. The outcome of my precious sons life so before any of you say it was a accident and he should be out think of that 5 minutes could be the difference between life and death and were not sure of how long our babies were left on the side of the road while he was at home making up a story to cover his ass ….. this low life needs to spend every day of his life in the same pain my wife and I are feeling
Ron West Father of Rylee
JW last paragraph of the article states he was released on bond.
My earlier comment was in no way suggesting the man should get a “free out of jail” card for leaving the scene of the accident. I don’t know any of the individuals involved, but it is not uncommon for some people to shut down in the face of a tragedy and manage to pretend it simply did not happen.
@JW – The last sentence in the article states that he was released within 20 minutes after posting his bond.
So is he out on bond or in the slammer?
Bewilderedj, you have got to be kidding. This didn’t ruin one life, this young man’s family will never get over this. The young girl,also hit as well as her family will also be affected for the rest of their life. As for the man that ran over the kids, he should be charged. Anytime you hit something as big as a deer, you should stop and check what you hit., of course you’re hiding something. That “deer” could have been injured and needed help from animal control. No mercy for the driver from me.
@bewildered: It wasn’t just an accident – it was the fact that he hit them and then left them. And no matter what the kids are doing, if you hit one with a car you MUST stop and render aid. It’s not just the law, it’s human decency.
Wow! The courts will make an example out of him. The emotions due to the tragic outcome In this accident are raw. People are emotionally unhinged and not thinking rationally right now anyway to all the restrictions.
In my neighborhood kids as young as 9 years are zooming around on golf carts and all kinds of motorized devices at all hours of the day and evening. Scary to think an accident can end one life and totally ruin another.