Driver strikes girl on bike, brother arrested

Published: Updated:

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – A 9-year-old girl said she never wants to ride her bike again after an incident that ended in injury and arrest.

Neveah Jearles was riding her small pink bicycle out of her driveway on Adams Street when Jean Noel, 44, of Pampano Beach, struck her with his car, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Jearles’ sister in-law, Tera Marion, said she was inside their home when she heard commotion outside.

“The next thing you know, we were in my room and all I hear is a car. I hear the brakes and I hear ‘Boom!'” Marion said.

Noel’s car hit the left side of Jearles’ body after he tried to avoid crashing into her, FHP said. The little girl’s family rushed outside to find her covered in blood. Marion said Noel never left his car to check on Jearles and her brother, Spencer Phillipe, ran up to Noel’s car and began banging on it with his fists.

“That’s why her brother flipped out like, he’s banging on the window like ‘You just hit my sister! What are you doing?'” Marion said.

Jearles was taken to Bayfront Health Port Charlotte. Her brother was taken to jail.

As the large scrape on her shoulder and the cuts and swelling to her eye heal, Jearles’ family is growing more upset that the driver who hit her is not facing charges.

It’s her brother who is now facing charges for criminal mischief after officers arrested him on an outstanding warrant for an unpaid ticket. Marion said Phillipe was just responding as any brother would.

“If any brother seen their sister get ran over by a car, they’re going to run out and go crazy,” she said. “He didn’t intend to hurt him [Noel] or even scare the man because after everything calmed down everybody was fine.”

Jearles was with two friends without adult supervision when she was hit, according to FHP. Her family said she was only outside for about three minutes.

The little girl said she wants to donate her bike to Goodwill.

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