Attempt to Identify

NEWS RELEASE 18-070  - APRIL 9, 2018

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public’s help to identify a vehicle involved in an aggravated battery incident that occurred Sunday in Sarasota. 
 
At 5:00 p.m., deputies were alerted to a possible road rage incident near the intersection of Beneva Road and Riviera Drive. One of the witnesses recorded the hit and run incident on his cell phone. The video shows the victim riding a motorcycle traveling southbound on Beneva Road behind a grey Mazda 3 hatchback. The motorcyclist changes lanes and drives alongside the Mazda where the motorcyclist appears to be in a dispute with the other driver. The video then shows the motorcyclist hit the window of the Mazda before the driver swerves, striking the motorcyclist and causing him to crash on the side of the road. The video was released on social media by a witness Sunday evening and is now being shared by detectives in hopes that someone can identify the suspect’s vehicle.
 
The Mazda appears to be grey in color, with a large white decal on the back window. Anyone with information related to this incident, vehicle or possible driver is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941.861.4317.