23-Year-Old Suspect Arrested After Fatal Hit-and-Run Scooter Accident in Tampa

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 31, 2021

Arrest records from officials with the Tampa Police Department indicate that a 23-year-old individual has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury after they were involved in a hit-and-run accident which claimed the life of a rental scooter rider early Friday morning near the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Palm Avenue in Ybor City.

According to on-duty officers with the Tampa Police Department, it was approximately 2:40 a.m. on July 30, 2021, when a male and female on a motorized recreational scooter were driving in the westbound direction down East Palm Avenue in Ybor City. As the duo approached the road’s intersection with Nebraska Avenue, they entered the direct path of a silver 2002 Acura being driven by 23-year-old Jenalone Sisavat. Unable to avoid a collision with the pair, the sedan crashed full-speed into the scooter which caused both occupants to be violently ejected onto the roadway. Sisavat did not stop to give any assistance to the injured victims and proceeded to flee the scene almost immediately after it occurred.

Hillsborough County first responders arrived at the scene within a matter of minutes to find the male scooter rider in serious condition suffering from multiple life-threatening injuries. The female occupant, although visibly shaken and disoriented, sustained lesser injuries in the accident. Both victims were transported to a local hospital where the male individual passed away shortly after arriving at the emergency department.

Witnesses who pulled over to help the injured scooter riders were shocked and horrified by the fact that the other driver did not stop or pull over after the fatal incident happened. “They were human beings. They weren’t just animals or objects. They’re people with families and futures and goals in life,” one said in a statement to the press.

Detectives with the Tampa Police Department were able to track down and arrest Jenalone Sisavat several hours after the accident. The suspect is currently in the Hillsborough County Jail in lieu of a $7,500 bond.

Since 1977, Tampa personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has been helping victims who have been severely injured in hit-and-run accidents, crosswalk collisions, head-on crashes, rear-end car accidents, and side-impact collisions. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY to speak with one of our qualified legal associates.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.