Authorities say a man accused in connection with a hit-and-run death parked his car at a Wal-Mart and walked back to the scene of the crash, where he told officers the pedestrian had been hit by another driver.
William Desvergers, 27, of Pompano Beach, was arrested Thursday after investigators determined vehicle parts found at the scene of the crash in Lighthouse Point matched the damage to Desvergers’ pickup.
During a first-appearance court hearing Friday, Broward Circuit Court Judge Jack Tuter set a $130,000 bond and ordered Desvergers to surrender his passport.
Investigators said Desvergers was not at fault in the crash that killed 62-year-old Claude Michaud, who had been crossing the street in the middle of the block when he was hit along North Federal Highway on Sept 13.
But now Desvergers is facing charges of fleeing the scene of a crash, tampering with evidence and driving without a license, records show.
On the night of the crash, Desvergers was driving his pickup south when he struck Michaud near the intersection of Federal Highway and Northeast 48th Street, a sheriff’s report said.
The passenger-side front bumper, grille and hood of his 1993 Ford Ranger were damaged in the crash, the report said.
Desvergers turned west on Northeast 48th Street, got out of the car and walked back to the pedestrian lying in the road, witnesses told investigators. According to a prosecutor, Desvergers left the scene after noting the pedestrian was dead.
He then drove around the block to park at a Wal-Mart nearby, the report said.
Desvergers walked back to the scene of the crash, where Lighthouse Point Fire Rescue and deputies had already arrived. He told a deputy the pedestrian had been hit by another driver, the report said.
After speaking with authorities at the scene, Desvergers went home and, with the help of a friend, removed a toolbox from the bed of the truck and put on a camper top “to disguise the vehicle,” the report said.
He told deputies that he left the crash site because his license was suspended, the report said.
Desvergers told the judge that he works remodeling kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and has lived in Broward County all his life.
Staff writer Erika Pesantes contributed to this report.
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