Saddlebunch Keys Woman Charged After Allegedly Striking Cyclist In Key West Road Rage Incident
Police say minivan driver intentionally hit bicyclist after yelling "Touritst!" then fled scene before later appearing at station.
KEY WEST, Fla. — A Saddlebunch Keys woman faces felony charges after police said she intentionally struck a bicyclist with her minivan during a road rage incident Monday night, injuring the rider and fleeing the scene before later arriving at the police station.
According to police reports obtained and reviewed by Above the Fold, Lisa Marie Sacco, 57, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:07 p.m. near 729 Olivia St., where officers responded to reports of a hit-and-run involving a bicyclist, according to an arrest report.
A 27-year-old man told police he and his 38-year-old wife were riding bicycles eastbound on Olivia Street when a white minivan began following closely behind them, honking and yelling.
The man reported hearing the driver yell “tourist” before accelerating and striking the rear of his wife’s bicycle near Petronia Lane, causing her to fall, according to the report.
The victim, identified in the report as Cagney Stein, was treated at the scene and transported to Lower Keys Medical Center with injuries to her elbow and knee.
Stein told officers the driver had been yelling at her to move over and that she intended to do so when the roadway allowed more space. Instead, the vehicle passed on her left and struck her bicycle, she said, noting damage to the handlebar consistent with impact.
A witness, who followed the vehicle after the crash, told police the minivan had been honking at the cyclists for two stop signs and that “it appeared the driver… hit the bicyclist on purpose,” according to the report.
Police located the vehicle, a white Toyota Sienna registered to Sacco, parked at Winslow’s Bungalows on Truman Avenue. The minivan was missing its right-side mirror, and officers observed scratches and rubber transfer marks along the vehicle’s side that were consistent with the crash scene, the report states.
The mirror was recovered at the scene next to the victim, further linking the vehicle to the collision.
Sacco later arrived at the Key West Police Department lobby around 10:15 p.m. and told officers she wanted to report an incident involving bicyclists, claiming one had entered the roadway in front of her vehicle.
When questioned further, Sacco requested an attorney and declined to provide additional details after being read her rights, police said.
“I advised Ms. Sacco I was aware of the situation, and the involved female was transported to the hospital,” Officer Danielle Fasulo wrote in the report. “At this point, Ms. Sacco questioned if the involved female was going to be OK.”
A man who accompanied Sacco to the station told officers she had called him “very upset and panicking” after the incident and asked him to wait with her for police, but did not provide further details.
Based on witness statements, physical evidence, and the condition of the vehicle, Fasulo concluded Sacco “was experiencing an episode of road rage” and intentionally accelerated her vehicle to strike the victim against her will .
Police said Sacco failed to remain at the scene or render aid as required under Florida law.
Sacco was taken into custody at approximately 10:33 p.m. and transported to the Monroe County jail facility in Key West. She remained in custody Tuesday morning with no bond listed.
She is scheduled to appear in court April 2 for the leaving-the-scene charge and faces arraignment on the felony battery charge April 9.