Psychiatrist Dr. Sibyl Simon of Coral Springs, Florida turned herself in after she was tracked down by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper for allegedly causing a crash on Florida’s Turnpike and fleeing the scene of the accident.
Simon, 38, faces charges for tampering with evidence and criminal mischief. She was released from jail on July 31 after posting $10,000 bond. News sources did not say if she has hired an attorney.
According to the arrest report, the crash occurred on the morning of July 17 in the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike. Simon was reportedly driving a white Toyota Prius erratically on the turnpike, causing several drivers to hit their brakes.
The victim of the crash told investigators that he watched Simon weaving aggressively through traffic. When she tried to pass him on the right shoulder, she collided into the passenger side of his red Subaru and pushed him into another lane. Simon did not stop but as traffic slowed down, the man was able to identify the make of her vehicle and his wife reportedly took a picture of the license plate. No one was injured in the collision.
The victim called 911 and informed FHP troopers about the accident. A trooper tracked the license plate to car rental service Avis, and discovered that a white Toyota Prius was rented to Dr. Sibyl Simon. The trooper found the Prius in the parking lot of Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where Simon works, and found evidence of damage consistent with the reported collision.
The trooper said a portion of the vehicle had been freshly spray-painted with white paint to conceal the damage and he believes Simon used nail polish remover to clean off red paint from the Subaru she allegedly struck. Some of the spray paint had gotten on the front left tire and the ground, indicating that Simon had attempted to hide the damage at the hospital’s parking lot. The trooper also reported seeing a can of spray paint in the vehicle.
Simon agreed to speak to investigators in Fort Pierce. She denied being involved in a crash and insisted that the damage to her vehicle occurred when she struck a rail inside of her garage. She said she bought the spray paint at Walmart and painted the Prius at the the hospital parking lot. When investigators asked to see her garage, Simon said they couldn’t because she hadn’t moved into the home yet.
Another hit-and-run accident was reported in Boynton Beach last week. David Paul Blum is accused of leaving the scene of a crash that seriously injured university student Mitchell Johnson Reidy of Naples.
Blum, 21, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury. He was held at Palm Beach County jail and released the next day on $30,000 bond. News sources did not say if he has hired an attorney.
According to the police report, the alleged hit-and-run incident happened on February 24 on North Military Trail, three miles away from Florida Atlantic University. Blum was allegedly driving a 2017 Chevrolet Cruz north when he ran over Reidy, 19, who was crossing the road. Reidy suffered severe head injuries and is in a coma, sources say.
Blum didn’t stop to administer aid and drove his vehicle for five miles before abandoning it in a parking lot. He later told investigators that he thought he struck an animal, despite the extensive damage on the front end of his car.
Source: 8.3.17 Dr. Sibyl Simon of Coral Springs, Florida Arrested for Hit-and-Run Crash on Turnpike.pdf