A Wildwood man was arrested on a hit-and-run charge after running into several mailboxes with his truck and driving away.
Shawn Patrick Ross, 58, struck neighborhood mailboxes in Wildwood with his 2007 Ford truck and left the area at 1:45 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. He did not tell the owners about this, nor did he contact law enforcement.
Surveillance footage from a neighboring residence captured Ross’s vehicle and helped identify him as a suspect. A deputy responded to his home on County Road 121D in Wildwood, where he admitted he was involved in the crash. He then went outside to provide insurance information, the report said.
While a civilian crash investigator documented the crash scene, the deputy told Ross he was under investigation for leaving the crash. He stated he was going back inside his home, to which the deputy told him he needed to stay outside. He still started walking back toward his residence, the report said.
The deputy reiterated that he was being detained and was not free to leave. Ross briefly stopped, then continued walking away. The deputy again ordered him to stop, and he momentarily did so before continuing, the report said.
At that point, the deputy informed him that he would be arrested if he did not comply. Ross kept walking, so the deputy reached for his arm. He turned and pulled away, ultimately being handcuffed behind his back, the report said.
The crash report was later completed, and a copy was given to the United States Postal Service, the report said.
Ross was charged with hit-and-run (leave scene of crash involving damage to property) and resist (obstruct without violence). The Wisconsin native was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $1,500 bond.