A Naples man accused of critically injuring a bicyclist before he fled has changed his plea.
Richard Jean Baptiste, 62, on June 22 pleaded no contest to one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury.
Collier Circuit Judge Joseph Foster sentenced Baptiste to 10 years of state probation without early termination and ordered $37,676.47 in restitution to the victim.
Baptiste’s sentence does not carry prison time.
A now-41-year-old Naples woman on Jan. 5, 2025, was thrown from her bicycle along Weber Boulevard North after the front of Jean Baptiste’s vehicle hit her from behind, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The bicyclist was taken to an area hospital.
When troopers visited the victim at the hospital, they reported she was connected to a ventilator.
Authorities later spoke with Jean Baptiste and his wife at their home. Jean Baptiste told troopers he dropped his wife off at work and was driving for DoorDash while she completed her shift.
According to the arrest report, Jean Baptiste told troopers the suspected car had damage for about two years. Authorities reviewed footage from about four hours prior, where they saw the vehicle was not damaged.
Troopers found Jean Baptiste and the hit-and-run vehicle, a 2012 Mazda CX9, at a home off Jung Boulevard in Naples.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples man gets probation, must pay restitution after hit-and-run
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
