SEBASTIAN — The driver of a Ford F-150 will appear in court in September following a hit-and-run crash last month that seriously injured a teenager walking her dog. Now, details have been released about the actions the woman took after she drove away from the wreck.
The driver, who struck the 18-year-old and did not stop, had conducted an online search for local attorneys several hours after the crash. The woman, 52-year-old Tina Marie Batres, had called three attorneys, searched police scanners, crime news archives and even began looking up flights, police reports show.
Tina Marie Batres PHOTO PROVIDED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The June 12 hit-and-run crash happened near Lance Street and Gilson Avenue, west of U.S. 1 in Sebastian. The teenager was left in the middle of the roadway with serious injuries: a concussion, amnesia, cuts, scrapes, road rash on both of her legs and back, a broken rib and a bruised liver, police said.
Last Friday, officers arrested Batres on a charge of failure to stop or remain at a crash involving serious bodily injury, reports show. Batres was released Sunday from the Indian River County Jail on a $75,000 bond.
Batres’ recent arrest comes one month after the wreck. The woman was initially arrested on drug charges three days after the crash when police visited her property and found cocaine, fentanyl and drug paraphernalia in her purse, reports show.
“Thanks to the relentless efforts of our detectives and road officers, the driver responsible, for this terrible act has been identified and arrested,” Sebastian police said in a statement. “Tina Batres was arrested (Friday) for hitting this young girl and leaving her on the roadway with serious injuries.”
Sebastian police reviewed surveillance footage, spoke with witnesses and inspected Batres’ cell phone during the investigation.
A passerby called 911 for help at about 11 a.m. on June 12. The passerby said she found a girl struck by a vehicle lying in the street. Police arrived and saw the girl was semiconscious.
Indian River County Fire Rescue crews took the girl – who had heavy head trauma – to Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, reports show. The girl was released two days later.
The girl told police she was walking her dog on the south shoulder of Gilson Avenue when she saw a vehicle turn off Dolores Street and head westbound. The truck traveled at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of the roadway and struck the girl, reports show.
Police looked at a neighbor’s video footage. The video showed the grey/tan 2009 Ford F-150 truck’s driver traveling fast about the time officers received the 911 call, reports show.
The truck was the only vehicle traveling in the area during the time of the crash, police said. Officers said the truck had a chrome grill, chrome front bumper, black front passenger side spare tire, chrome rear passenger side tire and a missing passenger side view mirror.
A resident told police she believed the truck belonged to “Tina” who lived near the crash site. The Flock Safety license plate reader camera system led officers to Batres’ mother, who said she loaned Batres the truck months ago, reports show.
Police went to Batres’ home and saw the same truck shown in the surveillance footage parked in the back yard. Batres gave officers permission to search the vehicle, reached in her purse and opened an eyeglasses case with the key.
Police found drug paraphernalia, a white rock-like substance and brown powder, which tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, in the case reports show.
Officers searched Batres’ phone and discovered she spoke with attorneys in a series of phone calls between 3:49 p.m. and 4:58 p.m. on the day of the crash, according to records. Police arrested Batres and booked her into the county jail.
Details on what happened to the dog were not available.
