Florida man Peter Bradford Swing arrested for hit-and-run after police used teen's earpiece to track suspect

US News

By Richard Pollina

Florida police used an “unusual” method to track down a hit-and-run suspect with the help of the teenage victim and one of his headphones.

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

Swing is accused of fleeing the scene after hitting the teen and injuring him on the side of the road.

The teen's mother said her son suffered several fractures and head trauma in the hit-and-run, according to WKYT.

“When we have something as horrific as a human being hit, a 15-year-old boy, and the driver drives away, it's reprehensible,” Sheriff William Snyder said.

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

And despite his injuries, the teen helped catch the suspect.

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

“It was this earpiece that provided geographic tracking to the suspect’s home in Jensen Beach,” the department explained.

When police arrived at his home, they found that Swing's silver Hyundai Sante Fe, believed to be the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run, had “tried” to hide out of sight.

“The passenger side of the vehicle showed damage and a broken rear window, as officers suspected,” the department said.

Once officers were able to search the interior of the suspect's vehicle, they found the victim's earpiece stuck under a floor mat.

“This is an unusual way to locate a hit-and-run crash suspect, but it worked,” the department said.

Swing was later arrested at his home in Jensen Beach, about 40 miles north of Palm Beach, and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury.

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

The department said Swing told “deputies he expected them to show up at some point and then provided a full confession about the accident” upon his arrest.

The 49-year-old suspect also told investigators he fled the scene of the crash in a state of “panic” after serving time for drug-related charges in the past.

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

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