A Brooksville man was arrested after deputies say he fled the scene of a crash on Jasmine Drive that left another driver injured, with investigators crediting a tip from the public for breaking the case open within a day. Alexander Love, born November 4, 1989, was arrested and booked into the Hernando County Detention Center on $5,000 bond after traffic deputies tracked him down.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded on October 14 to a hit-and-run crash involving injuries. The driver of the vehicle that was struck sustained injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, while the driver responsible for the crash fled the scene before deputies arrived. A deputy assigned to the sheriff's office Traffic Unit took over the investigation, working from a description of the suspect vehicle even though investigators did not have license plate information.
Tip Leads Deputies Straight to Suspect
The break in the case came on October 15, when the sheriff's office received a community tip regarding the possible location of the suspect vehicle and driver. Traffic Unit members followed up on the tip the same day, located the vehicle and the suspect, and conducted further investigation before making the arrest. Love was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center, where he was booked.
The sheriff's office thanked community members who provided information to help identify and locate the suspect, and it wished the injured victim a full and speedy recovery. The agency said deputies remain committed to thoroughly investigating crimes, holding responsible people accountable, and seeking justice for victims, adding that leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries is a serious crime that disregards others' safety and well-being.
What Florida Law Says About Leaving the Scene
Under Florida Statute 316.027(2)(a), leaving the scene of a crash involving non-serious bodily injury is classified as a third-degree felony, carrying up to five years in state prison and a maximum fine of $5,000, according to the Tampa FL DUI Lawyer firm. Florida law also escalates these charges depending on whether a crash involves property damage, non-serious injury, serious bodily injury, or death. A conviction may also result in driver's license revocation, as detailed by the Sammis Law Firm in reporting from the Criminal Defense Attorney Tampa site.
Separately, Florida Statute 316.062 requires any driver involved in a collision resulting in injury to immediately stop, remain at the scene, provide identifying information including name, address, and vehicle registration, show a driver's license upon request, and render reasonable assistance to injured people, according to the Brancato Law Firm. Failing to meet those duties forms the legal basis for hit-and-run charges.
Hit-and-Runs Are a Persistent Problem Statewide
The Brooksville case fits into a broader pattern across Florida, where hit-and-run crashes have become disturbingly common. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recorded 97,902 hit-and-run crashes statewide in 2024, resulting in 246 deaths, with hit-and-runs accounting for roughly a quarter of all motor vehicle collisions in the state.
Closer to home, Hernando County recorded 2,616 total traffic crashes and 44 traffic fatalities in 2024, keeping pace with a three-year average of roughly 2,635 annual collisions, per state crash report data.
Public Tips Keep Proving Decisive
This is not the first time a tip from Hernando County residents has helped deputies close a hit-and-run case quickly. In February, the sheriff's office Traffic Unit arrested a Weeki Wachee man after a similar injury crash on Commercial Way, again relying on public assistance to find the vehicle and driver.
In an August rollover on Cortez Boulevard, crews freed a trapped driver in under ten minutes.
