A driver left behind one of his shoes at Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash.
Two people at about 5 p.m. Thursday were traveling in a black Nissan Sentra southbound on U.S. 301 waiting to make a left turn onto County Road 466 when they heard a loud “thump” and realized they had been rear-ended by a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 42-year-old Nathan Chad Knight of Oxford, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Knight instructed the other driver to park on the side of the road, presumably for an exchange of information. However, Knight, who has a prior criminal history, “sped off” without providing any information.
They followed Knight to the nearby Walmart where he ran away, leaving behind one of his shoes.
Several hours later, a deputy followed up and found Knight at his residence. He claimed he had been the victim of a “road rage” incident and was in fear. He said he had a friend pick him up and take him to Leesburg. He claimed he fell asleep at a home in Leesburg and got a ride home a few hours later.
Video surveillance did not appear to back up Knight’s story.
He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $500 bond.
