SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A driver is facing charges after a hit-and-run led to another crash that left a woman seriously injured and damaged a deputy's patrol car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
According to troopers, Christopher Nagata, 35, was driving westbound on I-4 near East Williamson Road when he lost control of his pickup truck and hit a guardrail in the median.
A woman who witnessed the impact stopped to help the driver and saw him running from the truck, FHP said.
A second crash happened after a Seminole County deputy arrived at the scene.
"As all this was occurring, an eastbound vehicle that was in the inside lane didn't realize (the truck) was blocking part of the lane," FHP Lieutenant Kim Montes said. "She struck the pickup truck, which kind of spun it around and impacted the deputy's car. The deputy was outside the vehicle and, thankfully, was not hit."
The driver involved in the second crash was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Nagata was later found by deputies and taken into custody after he was identified by the witness.
A court record search showed Nagata was arrested in April for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Early Friday he was booked into jail on charges related to the hit-and-run crash.
Nagata posted $2,000 bond Friday afternoon and was released, officials said. His next court date is June 12.