An off-duty Villages Public Safety Department firefighter was arrested after a hit-and-run crash involving a Villages couple’s vehicle.
Matthew Brian Roberson, 39, of Ocala, surrendered Saturday to law enforcement at the Wildwood Police Department.
Roberson’s daughters, ages 9 and 12, were in his pickup truck when the crash occurred, according to an arrest report.
The Villagers said that shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday they had been traveling west on State Road 44 at the intersection of Buena Vista Boulevard. The driver put on the left turn signal and changed lanes when Roberson’s pickup came within inches of their rear bumper. Roberson then drove onto the grass median and passed the Villagers’ vehicle. He then pulled back onto the roadway about six feet in front of the Villagers’ vehicle. The Villager was unable to stop and crashed into the rear of Roberson’s vehicle, the report indicated.
Roberson stopped for “two to three seconds and then sped off” in a westerly direction.
The Villagers described the crash as “clearly intentional.” A third party verified their version of events.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office found Roberson and encouraged him to contact the Wildwood Police Department.
Roberson told an investigator that he did not realize an accident had occurred. He said he drove down the road, checked his vehicle and went home.
The damage to the Villagers’ vehicle was described as “substantial.”
Roberson was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, hit and run and cruelty to a child. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $34,250 bond.
In December, Roberson marked his 11th year with the Villages Public Safety Department. He resigned on Sunday.
