A 20-year-old man is facing a felony charge after police say he intentionally rammed a cyclist he knew with his vehicle before dawn near a Taco Bell parking lot in Clermont, then fled the scene. Tyler Sandor was arrested roughly two hours later in nearby Mascotte, and officers say the bicycle involved was completely destroyed in the collision.
The crash happened before dawn on Sept. 6 near the Taco Bell at 1606 Hammock Ridge Road in Clermont, according to mandatory.com. The cyclist suffered only minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital, but the bike itself did not survive the impact. Per a police post, the Clermont Police Department said Sandor and the victim were known to each other — a detail that has shifted the framing of the case from a random road-rage incident toward something more personal, though police have not released the specific nature of their relationship or a motive, according to the Tampa Free Press.
Chase Ends in Neighboring Mascotte
After the crash, Sandor fled the scene rather than stopping to exchange information, mandatory.com reports. Officers from the Mascotte Police Department received information about the suspect's vehicle, located it, and stopped Sandor, arresting him around 5:59 a.m. that same morning. Mascotte sits roughly 7.7 to 8 miles west of the Clermont crash site via State Road 50, according to Rome2Rio — meaning Sandor covered meaningful ground before the neighboring department caught up with him.
Clermont police reported that Sandor intentionally hit the cyclist with his vehicle, per the same police post. That determination is what elevated the case beyond a standard traffic offense: the Tampa Free Press notes that while most hit-and-runs stem from panic following an accidental collision, investigators here concluded Sandor deliberately used his car as a weapon against someone he knew.
Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Filed
Sandor was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, along with a second-degree misdemeanor count of hit and run for leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, per mandatory.com. Under Florida Statute § 784.045, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon carries penalties of up to 15 years in state prison, up to 15 years of probation, and fines as high as $10,000, according to Hanlon Law, which notes Florida courts consistently recognize motor vehicles as deadly weapons when used in a manner likely to cause death or great bodily harm.
The misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, under Florida Statute § 316.061, applies to leaving the scene of a crash involving damage to an attended vehicle or property without providing identification, and is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely. Booking records from the Lake County Jail show Sandor's total $20,000 bond was split evenly, $10,000 for the felony count and $10,000 for the misdemeanor, before he bonded out, the Tampa Free Press reports. He is expected to appear for arraignment on Sept. 23.
Part of a Troubling Pattern on Lake County Roads
The case lands amid growing concern over non-motorist safety in Lake County. In August, a cyclist was struck and killed by a 2020 Jeep Wrangler at the intersection of U.S. Highway 192 and Town Center Boulevard in Clermont, a crash Hoodline covered at the time. That reporting also cited Lake County Sheriff's Office data showing the county recorded 97 bicycle crashes in 2025, resulting in six cyclist fatalities.
Countywide, traffic deaths have been climbing more broadly. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data shows Lake County recorded 80 traffic fatalities across 73 fatal crashes in 2025, up from 51 fatalities the year before, a trend Hoodline detailed in its coverage of a fatal Porsche crash on Greater Hills Boulevard. Statewide, an average of 18 people are involved in a bicycle crash every day, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Clermont has seen its share of hit-and-run scares involving cyclists before. In November 2025, Clermont triathlete Gabrielle Suver survived being sideswiped while riding, suffering nine broken ribs and a back broken in three places, a case Hoodline covered as she later pushed for safer local roads. Whatever prompted Sandor to target someone he knew remains an open question as the case heads toward arraignment later this month.
