Welcome to Arrest Stories. A fifty-one-year-old Florida man faces multiple charges after allegedly stealing a golf cart and abandoning his injured friend following a crash in Key West. Here's what may have happened.
Vincent Franklin Fortin found himself in handcuffs after what police describe as a joyride gone wrong that left his companion with serious injuries requiring emergency surgery. The incident unfolded when Fortin and another individual allegedly stole a golf cart using what authorities call a master key capable of starting multiple vehicles.
According to police reports, Fortin was operating the stolen golf cart with his friend riding in the rear when the situation took a dangerous turn on North Roosevelt Boulevard. A witness observed Fortin slam on his brakes before making what officials describe as an abrupt U-turn. The sudden maneuver caused his passenger to be ejected from the rear seat onto the pavement.
Police stated that during the joyride, Fortin caused serious bodily injury to the victim which will require emergency surgery to repair. The injured man was thrown from the rear seat onto the pavement and left lying in the outbound lane of North Roosevelt Boulevard. A witness at the scene helped move the victim out of the road and onto the sidewalk as he was experiencing extreme pain in his hip and could not move his leg.
Rather than stopping to render aid to his injured companion, Fortin allegedly fled the scene. Police report that he spent the rest of the day cruising around Duval Street like nothing happened after abandoning his injured friend. The victim was subsequently transported to Lower Keys Medical Center where he required emergency surgery for a broken hip.
Fortin now faces charges including grand theft, leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury, and operating a vehicle without a valid license. The stolen golf cart was valued at forty-one thousand dollars. Fortin was scheduled to be arraigned on January twenty-ninth.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.