Sarasota Police arrest man in fatal bicycle hit-and-run
Sarasota Police arrested a man on Wednesday who was involved in a fatal bicyclist hit-and-run crash in January.
Michael Brandon Aabel, 29, told officers during the investigation that he was unaware of any car crash, according to a probable cause affidavit. The Jan. 15 crash was caught on red light cameras and showed a truck registered to Aabel hitting Nathaniel Harris, the bicyclist, police officials said.
Moments before the crash, Harris was bicycling and waiting for an opportunity to cross southbound State Road 45 and State Road 758. At around 6:30 p.m., Harris then rides into the roadway and slowly crosses the street. Shortly after, the southbound traffic light turns green. Harris makes it just beyond the center lane of travel and falls off his bike. While he stands up, cars slow down, stop or avoid hitting him.
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A white Ford F150 approaches the intersection and brakes just before hitting Harris. Aabel said that he noticed a cart in the roadway and swerved around it, according to the probable cause affidavit. He felt a small bump but nothing big, Aabel said.
An officer investigating the case recognized Aabel as a former co-worker and a friend on Snapchat. The officer used his Snapchat account to see if Aabel had his location on and was able to locate him at an apartment complex. A Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy checked the area for the truck. It was located and later towed to the Sarasota Police Department Crime Scene vehicle bay.
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Aabel agreed to meet officers at the Sarasota Police Department the day after the crash. He told officers that he slammed on his brakes and felt the front passenger side hit something. Aabel said it felt like a pot hole in the road.
He pulled over into a nearby parking lot and saw no damage to his car. He drove back to the scene and saw what he thought was a wagon or cart in the street, but he said that was all he saw, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Investigators seized his phone and found several deleted text messages that discussed the crash.
Aabel faces charges of leaving the scene of a traffic crash resulting in a death.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Police arrest man in fatal bicycle hit-and-run
