An alleged drunk driver is accused of running down a single mother on an e-bike in Florida and driving for blocks with her stuck in his windshield before being arrested at a liquor store.
Xavier Omar Rigby, 22, was driving a 2021 Nissan Altima “at a high rate of speed” in St. Petersburg on Saturday when he allegedly struck 38-year-old Kjersten Aileen-Hermance Strang as she was riding her e-bike in the curbside lane, according to authorities.
Rigby allegedly slammed into the rear of Strang’s bike with so much force that it sent her flying into the windshield of his Altima.
Police said he continued to drive for eight blocks with Strang hanging out of the windshield before her body was “dislodged from the vehicle” and fell into the road.
The suspect left the scene without calling 911 or waiting for first responders.
Strang was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
St. Petersburg police officers caught Rigby a short while later at a liquor store about a mile away from where the crash happened, showing “signs of impairment.”
Police said they smelled alcohol on Rigby’s breath, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was slurring his words.
After refusing to take a field sobriety test, he was immediately arrested.
The alleged drunk driver was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, vehicular homicide leaving the scene, and DUI manslaughter.
During his first court appearance Monday, Judge Elizabeth Zuroweste wasted no time blasting Rigby’s criminal past and his part in the deadly crash, Fox 13 reported.
“Here you are with a prior leaving the scene [of a crash with property damage] from 2022,” Zuroweste said.
“Then, in 2024, the state was generous enough to reduce your DUI to a reckless [driving charge]. For purposes of bond, it’s a DUI.”
Rigby’s record includes speeding more than 30 mph over the limit.
He also has a prior DUI that required DUI school and a MADD victim impact panel.
Additional charges include driving on the wrong side of a divided highway and an open container charge, according to Fox 13.
“Here we are now. We’ve now gone to a second DUI, but this time with extremely aggravating facts, where you’ve killed somebody, left the scene and dragged their body, and I don’t even need to go any further for how aggravating these set of facts are,” the judge said.
Zuroweste set Rigby’s bond at $750,000 for the DUI manslaughter, but then gave him no bond for his vehicular homicide charge since she considered him a “danger to the community.”
“I’m finding that you’re a danger to the community and that nothing else can secure your decision-making and putting your life and everyone else’s life on the road, so you’re going to remain at no bond in the vehicular homicide and the leaving the scene of a crash involving death,” she said.
Strang was a single parent of a young son, according to a GoFundMe set up to help support her family.
Her loved ones described the mother as an “angel” and one of the most caring people in the community, Fox 13 reported.
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