FORT WALTON BEACH — A Niceville woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of cyclist Harry Robert Crawford.
Okaloosa County Circuit Judge John Brown sentenced Rhea Reynolds, 29, for leaving the scene of an accident with death. She will serve 10 years’ probation following her prison term, according to the state attorney’s office.
Crawford, 63, of Destin, was cycling on Okaloosa Island to an Easter sunrise service on April 8, 2012, when he was hit from behind near Gulf Islands National Seashore. He died before emergency crews arrived.
Reynolds did not stop after she hit Crawford, but investigators found parts of a vehicle at the scene.
Crime Stoppers reports pointed officials to Reynolds’ 2004 Chrysler Pacifica a few days after the accident. Lab testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed that Reynolds’ car hit Crawford.
Reynolds initially denied any involvement, but later said she was driving home from work when she looked down to ash her cigarette. She said she felt a bump at the front of her vehicle, but did not see anything when she looked in her rearview mirror.
She was arrested last October.
Before Reynolds’ arrest, Crawford’s family publicized the case by placing signs and a bicycle at the crash site along U.S. Highway 98. A white bicycle sits at the spot today.
“No amount of years will bring my dear husband Rob back to me,” Andi Crawford said Thursday, a day after Reynolds’ sentencing. “ … I hope Rob’s death raises awareness that cyclists have a right to be on the road and if you are involved in an accident, stop and render aid.
“I miss Rob terribly and he will forever be with me.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.
