Man charged in connection with fatal traffic accident
A North Fort Myers man remained in jail Tuesday on charges connected to a traffic crash in which one person died and another was seriously injured.
John Patrick Roberts, 22, of 2007 Buddy Lane, was arrested and charged Friday with one count each of DUI, homicide negligent manslaughter vehicle DUI cause death to human or unborn child, homicide negligent manslaughter other than by motor vehicle, DUI with serious bodily injury and two counts of DUI with property damage.
Picked up by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant, Roberts was still at the Lee County Jail on $77,500 bond. He has a court arraignment Oct. 25.
The State Attorney’s Office has not yet officially charged Roberts in the case.
According to police, Roberts was driving north on Del Prado Boulevard, North, at about 8 p.m. June 11 when the car drifted to the right and left the road. The vehicle struck a tree head along in the 3500 block and the front seat passenger, Brittany Nicole Lehman, 20, of 1717 Park Meadows Drive, Apt. 3, Fort Myers, died on scene from her injuries.
Lehman’s family was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Roberts was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed and alcohol was a factor. According to a traffic crash report, the estimated speed the vehicle was traveling was 85 mph on a part of Del Prado with a 50 mph speed limit.
Lehman was the city’s sixth traffic fatality for 2010.
After the crash, Roberts was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, along with a second passenger in the vehicle, John Turner, 17, of 7587 Marx Drive, Fort Myers. Both were treated and later released.
According to the report, Lehman and Roberts were wearing seat belts when the crash occurred. Turner, who was in the back seat, was not wearing one.
Turner could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
In August, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced that it needed the public’s help in locating a missing adult. Jennifer Lehman, 48, of 1717 Park Meadows Drive, Fort Myers, was last seen Aug. 13 by her boyfriend. She is the mother of Brittany Lehman.
The boyfriend told authorities that he and Jennifer Lehman had dinner at a Fort Myers restaurant and that he left her to go home afterward. Lehman’s family members said she had been depressed due to her daughter’s death.
Lehman was late seen driving a white, 1993 Nissan 300ZX.
Anyone with any information on Lehman’s whereabouts is asked to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 477-1000.