ORLANDO, Fla. – A 46-year-old man faces charges after he allegedly struck and injured a woman on a scooter with his vehicle, then left the scene on Monday morning in College Park, according to an arrest affidavit.
Orlando police responded to the area of Edgewater Drive and Yale Street around 4:45 a.m. in reference to an injured person. Officers said the Orlando Fire Department had already transported the victim to a local hospital by the time they arrived.
While at the hospital, the victim, Vicktoriia Muravystka, told police that she was struck by a semi-truck, according to the affidavit.
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“I don’t have the words for it, like all of my thoughts like all days it’s been just been only about her,” said Anastasia Miashchenko, who says she is a close friend of Muravystka.
Miashchenko said that right now, all she can do is pray as her friend recovers at the hospital.
Police said during their investigation, camera footage showed a semi-truck traveling on Edgewater Drive and making a left turn onto Yale Street, then striking the victim.
According to the affidavit, the semi-truck stopped after the collision for a short period of time before leaving the scene. A few minutes later, the same semi-truck returned to the scene, but now located on Edgewater Drive. Once first responders arrived on scene, the semi-truck left again, traveling south on Edgewater Drive.
Officers contacted the driver, who was identified as Carlos Roberson, by phone and asked Roberson if he would return to the scene to provide a written sworn statement. Roberson agreed and arrived on scene a short time later, police said.
Police said they asked Roberson what happened involving the victim on the scooter and he told officers, “He was making a delivery to Publix and saw a female in the road bleeding.” He then told officers that he got out of his truck to check on the victim, but then left to make his delivery to the Publix located a short distance away from the scene.
Roberson then told police that after making his delivery, he parked his truck on Edgewater Drive and he stayed with the victim until first responders arrived on scene. Once rescue crews were on scene, Roberson said he left the scene to head to his next delivery, according to the affidavit.
Police said that as they walked Roberson to a marked patrol vehicle they told him that they “saw the surveillance footage and he need to be more truthful when he wrote his statement.” Officers said Roberson became emotional and told them he left the scene because he was scared.
According to the affidavit, surveillance footage and physical damage to the front of the semi-truck showed probable cause for an arrest.
Roberson was arrested and faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash with injuries. He was taken to the Orange County jail without incident, police said.
“When we found her she was under a Joe... a Jane Doe, so when we came, she had no identification on her,” said Leah Ivanystka.
Ivanytska, Muravystka’s roommate, said Muravystka moved to Orlando in January and is a Ukrainian refugee coming from Keiv.
She said it was a miracle Muravystka was able to call her co-worker to get her help.
“I don’t even know how to the grace of God and he was able to rush to the scene, call the police and get her rushed to the hospital,” Ivanystka said.
Praying for her speedy recovery, both Ivanytska and Miashchenko said Muravystka’s main support is her church community saying she has no close relatives in the area.
Muravystka is still being looked at by doctors, but her injuries are severe requiring multiple surgeries.
“She can not talk, she can’t, so she just like with her hands just like showing she needs something,” Miashchenko said,
Even with this incident, Miashchenko says after speaking with Muravystka’s mother, the family said they forgive Roberson but added that their focus is supporting Muravystka.
“She saw so much, having to flee, still having family members back in Ukraine... it’s so difficult for her and we just try and love on her the best way we can,” Ivanytska said.
Due to Muravystka being a refugee, she does not have insurance, which is why loved ones have set up a GoFundMe as she starts her recovery process.
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