Florida man Peter Bradford Swing was arrested for hit-and-run after police used a teenager’s earpiece to track the suspect

US News

From Richard Pollina

Police in Florida used an “unusual” method to track down a hit-and-run suspect with some help from the teenage victim and one of his earpieces.

Peter Bradford Swing, 49, was arrested Friday for allegedly hitting a 15-year-old boy on his bicycle in Jensen Beach around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.

Swing is accused of fleeing the scene of the accident after hitting the teenager and leaving him injured on the side of the road.

According to WKYT, the teenager’s mother stated that her son suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury in the hit-and-run accident.

“When something as horrific as this happens to a human being, a 15-year-old boy, and the driver just keeps driving, it’s reprehensible,” said Sheriff William Snyder.

The unidentified victim was taken to a local hospital for his injuries but has since been released and is expected to make a full recovery, police said.

And despite his injuries, the teenager was involved in the capture of the suspect.

One of the victim’s earbuds flew out of his ear and landed under a floor mat in Swing’s SUV, ultimately leading to an arrest.

“It was this earpiece that enabled geolocation directly to the suspect’s home in Jensen Beach,” the department said.

When police arrived at his home, they found that Swing’s silver Hyundai Sante Fe – presumably the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run crash – had “attempted” to disappear from sight.

“The passenger side of the vehicle was damaged and the rear window was, as officers suspected, smashed,” the department said.

When officers were able to search the interior of the suspect’s vehicle, they found the victim’s earpiece wedged under a floor mat.

“This is an unusual method of finding the suspect in a hit-and-run accident, but it worked,” the department said.

Swing was subsequently arrested at his home in Jensen Beach, about 40 miles north of Palm Beach, and charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing great bodily harm.

“We are so happy that he was caught and that my son helped find him,” the victim’s mother told the outlet.

The agency said that after his arrest, Swing told officers that he “expected them to show up at some point and then made a full confession about the accident.”

The 49-year-old suspect also told investigators that he fled the scene of the accident “in a panic” after having previously served a prison sentence for drug offenses.

Swing is currently being held without bail in the Martin County Jail.

If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison, 15 years probation and a fine of up to $10,000.