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A man who led deputies on a chase is charged with vehicular homicide after a woman who was thrown from his motorcycle dies.
By JAMIE JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 1, 2001
SPRING HILL -- A 51-year-old man has been charged with vehicular homicide after a woman who flew off his motorcycle last week during a chase with deputies died on Thursday.
Hernando County sheriff's investigators have upgraded charges against Michael H. Schmidt of 11715 Key Lime Drive in New Port Richey, who remains in the Hernando County Jail. Detectives say he ran a red light on Nov. 20, fled deputies and crashed his motorcycle into a concrete curb, throwing him and his passenger over a median before they hit the ground.
Witnesses said Schmidt's passenger, 51-year-old Donna J. Charron of the same address, pounded on his back trying to get him to stop.
She was flown by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where doctors said she had no brain activity, a broken back, broken legs and broken ribs.
On Wednesday, her family asked that she be taken off life support, authorities said. She died at 3:29 p.m. Thursday.
A deputy on patrol said he saw Schmidt run a red light on Cortez Boulevard, causing several drivers to swerve to avoid hitting his motorcycle.
The deputy said he turned on his lights to stop Schmidt, but Schmidt sped up and entered Mariner Square Plaza.
He was trying to turn onto a service road between the plaza and the Wal-Mart supercenter, investigators said, but he could not slow down.
His front wheel struck a concrete curb. The motorcycle, Schmidt and Charron were thrown over a median that separates the plaza and Wal-Mart. Authorities said the motorcycle came to rest on its right side and slid about 40 feet before stopping.
Schmidt told authorities he does not remember what happened.
He was charged last week with fleeing a law enforcement officer, driving while his license was suspended or revoked, and operating a motorcycle without endorsement.
He was being held in lieu of $18,340 bail Friday, but he has no-bail status because of several worthless-check charges in Pasco and Citrus counties.
Authorities said Schmidt had 14 active felony warrants at the time of his arrest, and they think he may have run from deputies because of them.
- Jamie Jones covers law enforcement and courts in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.