Suncoast: Suspect Identified in Harborwalk Footbridge Crash – Punta Gorda Police Department
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
On Monday, June 7, 2021 officers responded to 1200 West Retta Esplanade, Fishermen’s Village in reference to a hit-and-run vehicle crash. A security guard at Fishermen’s Village stated that just before 1:00 a.m. they heard a loud noise and observed a vehicle driving through the parking lot at a high rate of speed away from the footbridge of the Harborwalk. The witness stated that it appeared the vehicle was dragging pieces of the barriers and fencing surrounding the footbridge as it left.
Evidence at the scene showed that a vehicle had been traveling west on West Retta Esplanade when it continued past the end of the roadway, went through the barriers and signs, crossed over the footbridge, and continued through the parking lot of Fishermen’s Village. The Harborwalk sustained approximately $15,000 in damage. There were no injuries reported.
Officers located vehicle parts at the scene which allowed them to determine that the vehicle involved was a 2004-2006 BMW X5. A search of the matching vehicles registered in the city was conducted and ultimately a vehicle was located at 1080 Bal Harbor Boulevard, Islander Point Condos. The vehicle had sustained substantial damage that was consistent with the evidence found at the scene. The vehicle was registered to a Nathan Michaiah Reid, who resided at that address. Contact at that address was attempted, but no one answered the door. Officers located a cell phone just outside the driver’s side door of the vehicle, which was taken for evidence.
The following day Reid came into the lobby of the Punta Gorda Police Department. He stated that he had lost his cell phone and that he had been able to track the phone’s location to the police department. Reid was interviewed by officers where he had admitted to having driven the vehicle home alone from the downtown area, but stated that he did not remember getting into an accident or arriving at home. It was also determined that Reid’s driver’s license was currently suspended for failure to complete substance abuse education. Reid later stated that he had thought he had hit something, but continued home anyway. He stated he believed the damage to his vehicle had been caused by someone he had been in an accident with in retaliation for his leaving the scene.
Reid was issued a criminal citation for Leaving the Scene of an Accident and a traffic citation for Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance.