Home » Update: Cocoa Police Arrest Driver In Fatal Hit And Run

Update: Cocoa Police Arrest Driver In Fatal Hit And Run

By  //  August 23, 2012

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Victim Unidentified

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BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – A suspect has been arrested in a fatal hit and run crash this morning on State Road 524 in Cocoa.

William E. Watson of Cocoa, 22, has been arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death following a fatal crash this morning in Cocoa. (Image courtesy Cocoa Police Department)

Cocoa Police Department public information officer Barbara Matthews said that William E. Watson of 660 Tucker Lane in Cocoa, was driving a 1997 Chevy truck east on State Road 524 near Westminster Drive about 7 a.m. Wednesday.

“Watson was distracted for a moment, retrieving something that had fallen from the driver’s seat,” Matthews said. “As he swerved off the road, he struck a pedestrian, walking eastbound on State Road 524.”

Joseph Scott Jr. of Cocoa, 38, died of his injuries at the scene.

Mathews said that Watson, 22, realized he had struck someone, but told investigators that he panicked and fled the scene.

“As officers responded to the scene, they saw Watson’s truck heading south bound on Clearlake Road. Officers noticed the truck because of the heavy front-end damage and what appeared to be blood on the windshield,” Matthews said.

Watson was stopped by police and has confessed to the crash.

He has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death and further charges are possible, depending upon toxicology results.

Matthews said a relative called police to say they may have recognized Scott by the description of what he was wearing and it led to his identification.

Anyone with information about the victim is asked to call the Cocoa Police Department at 321-639-7620.