A recent incident on the barrier island has rattled the local Vero Beach community, underscoring the critical importance of road safety—especially given our area’s vibrant and active golf cart culture. On the late afternoon of August 13, local law enforcement apprehended a 40-year-old Vero Beach resident following a hit-and-run collision that left a local couple injured.
According to Indian River County court documents and police reports, the troubling sequence of events unfolded just before 4:40 p.m. A husband and wife were enjoying a ride home in their golf cart along the 2700 block of Ocean Drive, near the Gables condominiums. The peaceful drive was abruptly interrupted when they noticed a large vehicle approaching rapidly and driving aggressively behind them. Despite their immediate efforts to safely pull off to the side, their golf cart was struck by a gold Cadillac Escalade. The impact threw the couple from their cart, resulting in minor injuries.
Instead of stopping to render aid, the driver of the Escalade allegedly fled the scene. A quick-thinking witness, who was leaving their workplace on Ocean Drive, observed the erratic driving and followed the vehicle. The witness reported seeing the Escalade speed away, running through multiple stop signs and blowing past a red light.
Vero Beach police officers quickly located a vehicle matching the description in the median lane of northbound Indian River Boulevard, near the Alma Lee Loy Bridge at 17th Street. The gold Escalade had sustained noticeable front-end damage and was riding on two flat front tires with heavily damaged rims, indicating it had been driven in that compromised condition for a prolonged distance.
Officers reported that the driver, identified as Kyle Fleener, stumbled as he exited the driver’s seat. Upon making contact, police noted classic signs of impairment, including red, glassy eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
The suspect admitted to knowingly driving away from the crash, claiming a malfunctioning accelerator prevented him from stopping for the golf cart and subsequent traffic signs—an excuse that conflicted with his eventual breath test results.
Following medical clearance at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, the suspect was transported to the Indian River County Jail for further investigation and field sobriety exercises. Key details from the arrest report include:
- The driver claimed to have consumed only three small beers roughly three hours prior to the accident and denied any narcotics use.
- Initial breath tests, taken while the suspect had a nicotine pouch in his mouth, registered blood-alcohol contents of .173 and .157.
- A secondary, official round of breath samples registered at .143 and .132, both significantly above Florida’s .08 legal limit.
- Fleener was officially charged with three counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury and three counts of DUI damage to property.
Following his first morning appearance, the suspect remained in the Indian River County Jail on an $80,000 bail, with his next court date scheduled for September 16.
For Vero Beach and Treasure Coast residents, this disturbing event serves as a critical reminder to stay highly vigilant on our beautiful coastal roads. Whether you are driving a car, cycling, or utilizing a neighborhood golf cart, defensive driving and sharing the road safely remain vital to protecting our community.
