A Florida Jeep Wrangler driver is at large after running over a woman’s legs while she was sunbathing Wednesday afternoon at Peters Point Beachfront Park on Amelia Island, reports Action News Jax.
The unidentified woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was reportedly 300 feet east of the beach access point and police say the Jeep driver, apparently behind the wheel of a “newer model” Wrangler, was exiting the beach when they ran over the sunbather, leaving tire marks on her leg.
“I was kind of meditating, to be honest with you, and I felt a lot of pain and I sat up as the tires were going across my legs,” the victim told Action News Jax. “I’m hoping that it was completely accidental, and they had no idea they did this.”
She was apparently laying with her head toward the water at the time, a fact that may have spared her from a much worse fate. “If I was laying the opposite way, they would’ve ran over my head and my neck and chest, and not my leg.”
“Thank God nothing is broken. I have crush injuries on my right thigh, right calf, right knee underneath. And then my left ankle was pretty twisted up,” she added. The Florida woman is expected to recover.
Unsurprisingly, the victim promptly called 911 after having her legs crushed by the Jeep but her fellow beach-goers didn’t sound too eager to help out. Multiple people watched her get run over but didn’t approach to make sure she was okay…apparently because she didn’t scream. “No one came near me until the fire rescue got there,” the unnamed victim said. “I’m hoping that I will bounce back from this. I’m really worried about the medical bills.”
As for the assailant, the Wrangler in question is described as white or light gray with the spare tire on the back and a black canvas top.
“Leaving a crash with injuries is a third-degree felony, so there is a substantial penalty,” said Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.
The identity and motive of the Jeep driver is still a huge question mark but, if you ask us, it doesn’t sound like this was intentional. They were, however, driving on a restricted part of the beach that is typically filled with sunbathers—and the move to flee the scene was undoubtedly wrong.