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Background: News footage of the scene in Florida”s Orange County where Ronald Bear was killed in an alleged hit-and-run (WKMG). Inset: Julia Blackwell (Orange County Sheriff’s Office).
A Florida woman has been apprehended in connection with a tragic hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a man who had come to her aid.
Julia Blackwell, age 21, faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death, after authorities reported that she struck and killed 59-year-old Ronald Bear with her pickup truck on May 16. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, Blackwell was among a group of friends when she reached out to Bear for assistance in freeing her vehicle from a muddy ditch beside a highway during the early hours of that morning. Bear arrived to help, accompanied by two relatives. At the scene, Blackwell’s silver pickup truck was stuck, while another black pickup truck was waiting nearby.
One of Bear’s relatives recounted that Bear had attached a tow strap to the black truck, which successfully pulled the silver truck out of the mud. However, when Bear moved to detach the tow strap, Blackwell, who was now in the driver’s seat of the silver pickup, allegedly accelerated, causing Bear to fall to the ground.
According to witness statements, while Bear lay on the ground, Blackwell allegedly reversed over him. The complaint details that, following the incident, Blackwell drove off, only to become stuck in another muddy area.
Another individual present at the scene informed the police that, although he was with Blackwell, he did not witness her hitting Bear. He did, however, hear Blackwell’s passenger exclaim, “You killed him.” Subsequently, Blackwell exited the silver pickup, which still had the tow strap attached, and joined her passenger in the black pickup, which then drove them both away from the location.
According to the complaint, Blackwell went home to her mother’s house, where she eventually agreed to speak to police on Tuesday. Blackwell reportedly told police that while she was behind the wheel of her truck, believing she was still stuck in the mud, she heard a “banging sound” and thought there was someone in front of her truck. She then put the truck in reverse, at which point she heard Bear “yelling” while he was on the ground.
Police responded to the scene just before 6 a.m. Bear had been pronounced dead by medical personnel about half an hour earlier.
Bear’s family told CBS affiliate WKMG that he was always willing to help people. They said they hope additional charges will be filed in connection with Bear’s death.
Blackwell is in custody at the Orange County Jail, where she is being held on $15,000 bond. Her next court date was not immediately available.