Three pedestrians were injured when a man allegedly intentionally rammed into them in the parking lot of a Brooksville bar on Friday night.
Michael Terry, deputy public information officer, (PIO) for The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HSO) said that around 1:45 a.m. on July 16, deputies responded to a report that a group of pedestrians had been intentionally hit by a truck while they stood in the parking lot outside of REBAR, 10123 Broad St. in Brooksville.
Witnesses told investigators that Michael Murphy had caused a disturbance inside the bar, and was asked to leave. Once outside, Murphy got into his truck and began “doing donuts” in the bar’s parking lot and then on Broad Street, Terry said.
“During this time, Murphy crashed into numerous vehicles and then purposely ran into a group of people who were standing outside the establishment,” Terry said in a written statement.
A Good Samaritan who had witnessed the incident while he was driving past the bar, prevented Murphy from fleeing by ramming his vehicle into Murphy’s truck causing that vehicle to crash into a guardrail.
Murphy was arrested without further incident.
Meanwhile, two pedestrians who were involved in the incident were transported to a nearby hospital where they were treated for broken bones. A third person was flown by medical helicopter to an area trauma center for treatment.
“None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening,” Terry said.
Murphy was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center on four counts of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
He is being held in lieu of a $44,000 bond.
