INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 25-year-old Vero Beach man remains jailed after investigators said he struck and killed an e-biker and later hid his truck at another person’s residence last month, reports show.
Michael Steigerwald PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Michael Steigerwald, of the 1700 block of Eighth Avenue, was charged Thursday with failure to stop or remain at crash involving death. Steigerwald was held Friday at the Indian River County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested Steigerwald at his home. Troopers identified the e-bike rider as Steven Edward Poteat.
The crash involving the HiKeep e-bike and white 2015 Ford F-150 pickup happened shortly before 9 p.m. Aug. 9 at the intersection of Eighth Street and 14th Avenue. Poteat was traveling westbound on the e-bike along Eighth Street and was directly ahead of the pickup.
Troopers said Steigerwald attempted to evade the bicyclist by driving in a southwesterly direction. The truck partially entered the eastbound lane, but did not avoid the bicyclist.
The right side of the truck struck Poteat, knocking him to the ground, according to troopers. Steigerwald drove away from the crash without helping Poteat or calling 911.
Poteat was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where doctors pronounced him dead, troopers said.
Scene of the crash
Troopers arrived at the crash site and saw vehicle debris along with a damaged right side rearview mirror lying in the eastbound lane of Eighth Street, reports show. The troopers also found a hat, headphones, sandals and a blood trail.
Troopers determined the broken off mirror belonged to a 2015 Ford F-150. Another motorist who was traveling eastbound said the truck served toward their lane, then back into the westbound lane before fleeing the scene.
The motorist and her passenger found Poteat lying in the roadway and assisted him until first responders arrived, reports show.
Headed to pick up a friend
Troopers spoke with a man who said Steigerwald was headed to pick up his friend before the crash. Steigerwald told the man that the e-biker was in the middle of the road.
Steigerwald said he tried to drive around the e-bike, but the rider collided with the truck’s right rearview mirror, reports show. Steigerwald was the only person in the truck at time of the crash before picking up his friend.
A Flock Safety camera search showed that the Ford F-150 had its right rearview mirror before the crash and that the mirror was missing the following day, troopers said.
Pickup truck found
On Aug. 12, troopers did a Google search on Steigerwald’s name before going to a home in the 2500 block of Second Street, Southwest, Vero Beach. There, troopers found the truck hidden in the back yard, reports show. The truck was towed to the forensic services building at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Troopers spoke with a man who said Steigerwald contacted him Aug. 11 and asked if he could leave his pickup in the man’s back yard. A woman who saw Steigerwald before the crash said he had been drinking alcoholic beverages before leaving her home about 8:44 p.m. Aug. 9.
The woman said the truck’s right rearview mirror was cracked but still attached before the crash. After the wreck, Steigerwald told the woman he “hit someone” and “they got up,” reports show.
Troopers looked at surveillance footage, which showed the pickup’s driver braking, the sound of a crash, debris scattering and westbound traffic stopping. A horn could be heard in the video immediately before the sound of the crash, reports show.
Troopers arrested Steigerwald and booked him into the county jail. Steigerwald has an arraignment at 9 a.m. Oct. 14, court records show.
