Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Betty Jean Alexander-Bacon, 73, of Lake Butler, was arrested early this morning and charged with failing to stop following a crash involving serious bodily injury after allegedly hitting a pedestrian.

Alexander-Bacon allegedly hit a pedestrian at the intersection of University Avenue and NW 13th Street at about 11:47 p.m. last night. She allegedly continued driving on NW 13th Street for about 1.5 miles before turning back southbound. Gainesville Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on her car at about 12:05 a.m., about seven blocks north of the incident, and reported that her windshield was “severely and noticeably” damaged.

The pedestrian was trauma-alerted to UF Health Shands with a severe head injury and other injuries.

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Post Miranda, Alexander-Bacon reportedly said she knew she hit something, but she didn’t know it was a person. She said she didn’t notice the damage to her windshield right away and that she knew she needed to go back to the site of the crash.

Alexander-Bacon has one misdemeanor conviction from 1997. Judge Walter Green set bail at $2,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.