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Pro Ballplayer, Rockledge High Alum Arrested in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash
Florida Highway Patrol said the Mustang changed lanes and forced a semi into the fatal crash, then fled before authorities arrested the driver.
- On Monday, April 20, authorities arrested 18-year-old Jonathan Matos Morales, a former Atlanta Braves minor league catcher, for vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash on Interstate 75 in Manatee County.
- The Atlanta Braves contacted the Florida Highway Patrol after identifying the suspect's vehicle at their North Port training complex, where officials felt 99.9% sure they had located the car involved.
- Dashcam footage shows Matos Morales' car sideswiping an SUV, pushing a semi-truck into the median; 34-year-old driver Stavan Albert Facey of New Smyrna died at the scene.
- During his first court appearance on Tuesday, April 21, a judge set bond for Matos at $100,000 on each charge, totaling $200,000, with orders to surrender his passport.
- Florida has recorded about 24,910 hit-and-run crashes so far in 2026, resulting in 49 fatalities, while Manatee County has documented about 393 incidents with three deaths this year.
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'A kind-hearted man': Mom grieves son's death in I-75 crash
A semi-truck driver who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 75 was remembered as "a kind-hearted man." Judy Thomas is devastated and in disbelief that her son, Stavan, is gone. "I can't understand. I just can't understand," she told FOX 35's Chris Lindsay. FHP was searching for the alleged driver in the hit-and-run, and released dashcam video that showed the crash. On Tuesday, FHP announced the arrest of 18-year-old Jonathan Matos Mo…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution85% Center
Bias Distribution
- 85% of the sources are Center
85% Center
15%
C 85%
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