A ballroom dancer was arrested for fleeing the scene of an alleged motorcycle incident in West Melbourne, Florida, and attempting to tamper with evidence in a car dealership parking lot, just days after the biker suffered significant injuries in the collision.
The 34-year-old man on a motorcycle was struck by Rebekah Makenzie Tate, a 24-year-old Palm Bay resident, early on September 1, Sunday, Labor Day weekend, while driving on U.S. Route 192.
The man was left with “life threatening injuries” in the “middle of the roadway” and his helmet went flying as a result of the collision, according to the West Melbourne Police Department.
Tate continued driving in a 2015 Toyota RAV4 with the victim’s motorcycle under her car and made a “attempt to hide” in the Coastal Hyundai parking lot, according to authorities, instead of stopping at the scene at West New Haven Avenue and Dairy Road and trying to help or call the police.
According to the arrest document, Tate was seen on camera at the dealership attempting, but failing, to “remove the motorcycle from the front of the vehicle[.]” while the victim was allegedly suffering from “serious bodily injuries,” including “several bone fractures and other injuries.”
Police later released a picture showing the motorcycle still underneath the suspect’s vehicle.
Police claimed that this attempt at tampering “was met with negative results,” but that didn’t stop them from accusing Tate of fleeing the scene of a crash involving serious injuries, which is a felony, and of attempting to “[a]lter, destroy, conceal, or remove any record, document, or other item with the purpose to impair its verity or availability in such proceeding or investigation,” which is also a felony.
Tate apparently got captured on camera at the dealership talking on her phone before she was picked up by another vehicle, which was described as a black sedan.
“Shortly after, the defendant is seen running in the parking lot of Coastal Hyundai when law enforcement arrive and leaves the area in a vehicle that shows up,” the affidavit stated. “The defendant did not call 911 or stay on the scene of the crash. The defendant left without providing aide or any information.”
Read Also: 6-Year-Old Boy Killed by Babysitter After Peeing His Pants at the Park
The victim’s health was reported to be critical as of three days ago. Tate’s bond was set at $17,500 for the two offenses after her arrest on Wednesday, according to Brevard County Jail records, and she was released from detention.
Court documents state that an arraignment has been scheduled on October 1 at 8 a.m.
