Gainesville man arrested for second hit-and-run in 3 weeks

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Granville Crockett Batey Jr., 43, was arrested early this morning on a hit-and-run charge, less than three weeks after a previous hit-and-run arrest.

At about 5:42 p.m. on September 14, a witness called 911 to report a man operating a white Mazda in an erratic manner in the Butler Plaza area; the caller said the man drove into the opposite lane of travel and hit a median. While the caller was following the vehicle, he reported that the Mazda rear-ended another vehicle at the intersection of Clark Butler Boulevard and SW 33rd Place and then drove away from the crash; he reported that the man lost control of the Mazda, left the roadway, entered a ditch, and damaged a fence owned by the Florida Department of Transportation.

A second witness reported that the Mazda hit the victim’s vehicle while the victim was stopped at a traffic light, and then the Mazda turned onto SW 33rd Place and then into the Walmart parking lot, where she lost sight of it. She said the driver of the Mazda waved at the victim’s vehicle before driving away.

A third witness reported that the white Mazda rear-ended the victim’s vehicle before backing away and fleeing the area; she said she saw the Mazda drive over the sidewalk and median before continuing down the roadway. This witness followed the Mazda until she lost sight of it.

A passenger in the victim’s vehicle said she and the victim felt the vehicle being hit from behind, and after the crash, the other vehicle drove away. The passenger did not report any injuries from the crash.

The victim reportedly said that she saw the Mazda driving the wrong way on two separate occasions before the crash, and the Mazda hit her vehicle while she was stopped at a traffic light. She reported some pain after the crash, but she decided to drive herself to an emergency room; the officer estimated that the damage to the victim’s vehicle was about $3,500.

When officers arrived, they reportedly found Batey in the Mazda, which was stuck in a ditch; after officers directed him to get out of the vehicle, he allegedly placed the vehicle in Drive and tried to leave, but the wheels just spun in the ditch. Officers reported, however, that Batey continued trying to drive the vehicle out of the ditch.

Officers reported that Batey was actively inhaling from an aerosol container, and the container was later identified as Spray-X Electronics Duster.

Post Miranda, Batey reportedly said he had “bumped into” another vehicle and had then attempted to pull around it; he said he did not see the other vehicle after pulling around it. He estimated that he was driving about 5 mph at the time of the crash, and he said the other vehicle hit him. He reportedly said he had “passed out” at some point during the incident, and the tires on his vehicle began spinning after he passed out. When asked about the aerosol container, he reportedly said it was used for cleaning purposes, and he denied inhaling or otherwise ingesting its contents.

Batey was transported to an emergency room for evaluation before he was booked into the jail. He reportedly agreed to provide a blood sample at the emergency room, and the sample was submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Batey has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, driving under the influence with damage to a person or property, resisting an officer without violence, and inhaling a controlled substance. He has six felony convictions (one violent) and 22 misdemeanor convictions (four violent), along with three DUI arrests and a previous conviction for leaving the scene of a crash with property damage in 2000. He is on pre-trial release following an August 26 arrest for leaving the scene of a crash that disabled the other vehicle; he was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence on that date.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $135,000 on the new charges and ordered him to wear a transdermal alcohol monitor.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.