A 96-year-old woman who is accused of renting a car and striking a pedestrian then driving away is back home in Pompano Beach.
Renee Buchsbaum was released from the Broward County Jail on her own recognizance the day after her arrest on July 6 for a hit-and-run that happened about 4:15 p.m. March 31, court records showed.
According to the arrest report, Buchsbaum was driving west on W. Palm Aire Drive when she stopped at a stop sign, then made a sharp southbound turn into the northbound lanes of Cypress Drive before hitting the man who was crossing the street.
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The pedestrian was flipped in the air before landing on his head. He suffered a concussion, brain bleeding, a broken leg and ankle, internal injuries, and cuts and bruises. He spent the past week in the hospital and is undergoing physical therapy, the report stated.
A woman followed Buchsbaum’s car to the 1500 block of W. McNab Road, got out of her car and started yelling at Buchsbaum to return to the scene of the incident. The report states Buchsbaum tried to strike the witness with the car before agreeing to return to the crash scene.
The witness followed Buchsbaum back to the scene, but Buchsbaum kept driving. The witness had taken several pictures of Buchsbaum’s rental car. The license plate was registered to Enterprise Rent-a-Car in North Lauderdale, investigators said.
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The car was rented March 29 and was returned April 11 with front bumper damage. When Enterprise officials asked Buchsbaum about the damage, she said she hit a pedestrian and left the scene, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
When contacted July 6, Buchsbaum declined to speak to detectives but admitted to talking to the witness after the crash and Buchsbaum added she left the scene because she was scared, the report stated.
Buchsbaum is facing charges that include leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury, driving on the wrong side of the street, and disobeying a stop sign, records show.
At Buchsbaum's first court appearance July 7, Broward Judge Phoebee Francois ordered her not to drive when released from jail.
The names of the victim and the witness were redacted from the arrest report.
