Man on community control for car theft arrested for car theft after crash that sent woman to a hospital

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Henri Prichon Hart, 40, was arrested yesterday and charged with grand theft of an automobile, hit and run, drug possession, and resisting arrest.

At about 7 p.m. last night, a Gainesville Police Department officer saw Hart driving a car that had been reported stolen earlier in the day. While the officer was verifying that it was the same car, he reportedly saw the car passing on a double yellow line. As the officer tried to catch up to the car, it entered the intersection of SE 7th Avenue and SE 7th Street and hit a car in the traffic circle.

The officer reported that he saw Hart getting out of the car and running northbound from the crash site; Hart allegedly ignored commands to stop running. After a brief foot chase, he was arrested.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 1.7 grams of a white rock-like substance that tested positive for MDMA.

A passenger in the car that was hit was transported to the hospital for her injuries.

Post Miranda, Hart reportedly said he knew he had drugs on him and that he had left the scene of the crash because he was afraid of getting arrested.

Hart, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has 15 felony convictions (two violent) and 11 misdemeanor convictions (one violent). He has served five prison sentences in cases from four counties and was last released in November 2022 after serving one year and seven months on charges of grand theft of an automobile and methamphetamine possession from Alachua County; that sentence included 24 months of probation after his release from prison.

A urine sample in January 2023 reportedly found cocaine and marijuana, which violated the terms of his probation. His probation officer also reported that Hart left GRACE Marketplace and that his location was unknown; a warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was arrested on April 30 for domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, and false imprisonment. Three days ago, he entered a plea admitting to violation of probation, and the probation was modified to community control (also known as house arrest – the order of probation states that he must be at his residence except for a half hour before and after work) with a special condition of 86 days in jail with credit for 86 days served. The domestic battery charges were dropped, and Hart was released with a GPS monitor.

Judge Tatum Davis set bail at $130,000.

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.