A judge on Sept. 10 set bail for the man accused in a fatal hit-and-run crash in northeast Marion County.
Also, authorities identified the victim as 29-year-old Julius Tanksley III of Ocala.
Here's what we know:
Who's the defendant? Why was he in court? Matthew Aaron Boardman. When someone is arrested and he/she is unable to immediately post bond and be released from jail, then the individual makes what's called a first appearance in front of a judge, usually within 24 to 48 hours after arrest.
At the first appearance hearing, a judge informs the defendant of their charge, determines whether there's probable cause for the arrest, and sets bail. In Boardman's case, he was booked at 12:33 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the Marion County Jail and was being held
without bail.
Who was the judge? County Judge Robert Landt.
What's the charge? Which trooper is investigating the case? Hit and run/fail to stop/remain at crash involve death. The investigator is Traffic Homicide Investigator Dillon Brown.
What happened in court? Assistant State Attorney William Hodges told the judge the maximum prison time Boardman could face is 30 years. He told the judge that Boardman, who appeared via Zoom from the jail, has a criminal history that includes arrests for charges of drug possession, battery, and driving on a suspended license.
Hodges said that, given the seriousness of the charge, Boardman's bail should be $35,000. The judge agreed.
The judge told Boardman that if he's released from jail on bond, then he cannot posses any alcohol or illegal substances. Boardman's next court date is Oct. 13 at 9 a.m.
About the case: According to FHP, about 8:05 a.m. on Sept. 9 a Ford Explorer was northbound on County Road 200A, approaching Northeast 110th Street. An Ocala man, later identified as Julius Tanksley III, was walking along the east shoulder of the road.
The truck traveled right and off the road, where it struck Tanksley, troopers said. The Ocala man was pronounced deceased at the scene by a county paramedic. The vehicle left the scene, FHP said.
While at the crash scene, FHP found vehicle parts that seemed to come from a newer model Ford Explorer. A witness told troopers what they saw and described the vehicle's driver.
About an hour later, troopers said, Boardman returned to the scene in the damaged vehicle and told them he was the driver who left the scene. He told troopers a relative told him to go back and he did.
Boardman was detained and eventually arrested.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man who died in Sept. 9 hit-and-run has been identified
