Florida Man Charged in Hit-and-Run Killing 2 Kids Causes Scene in Court Appearance
Sean Charles Greer, charged in a hit-and-run killing two children in Florida, caused a disturbance at his first court appearance Wednesday, requiring authorities to remove him from the courtroom.
Greer, 27, faces several charges, including two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident in the deaths of Andrea Fleming, age 6, and Kylie Jones, age 5, in a Monday car crash in Wilton Manors, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
At his Wednesday court appearance, authorities had to take Greer away after he reportedly refused to participate in the proceedings.
In the video-recorded hearing, someone told Judge Joseph Murphy, "Your honor, he stepped away. He didn't want to come back before the judge."
The Broward County Sheriff's Office said Greer was trying to pass a Broward County Transit bus in his 2009 Honda Accord when he swerved onto a sidewalk where several children had been gathered. In addition to the two deaths, four others had to go to a nearby hospital following the incident.
After the crash, authorities said, Greer drove away, with his car's bumper falling off at the scene. Authorities said they were eventually able to find his abandoned car by comparing the damage – including the missing bumper – to the crash scene. The sheriff's office said Greer confessed after his arrest Tuesday.
The court session was delayed for a minute when Greer was taken from the room.
"We seem to have lost him for a moment," Judge Joseph Murphy said during the videotaped hearing.
The judge ordered Greer held without bond for two probation violations. He was also ordered to appear before a judge on one of the violations Thursday morning.
His court-appointed public defender said Greer suffers from asthma, depression and insomnia, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
According to prosecutors, Greer's Florida driver's license has been suspended since 2016. He also has prior arrests, involving cannabis possession, petty theft and driving with a suspended license, dating to 2013.
Fleming and Jones died at the crash scene. Draya Fleming, Laziyah Stokes, Johnathan Carter and Audre Fleming were injured and taken to Broward Health Medical Center.
Greer also faces other charges, including two counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury, tampering with evidence, four counts of driving without a license causing death and/or serious bodily injuries, and driving with a suspended license.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
