Man accused of dragging bloodied Fort Myers woman after crash

Published: Updated:

WILDWOOD, Fla. A 36-year-old man was seen dragging a bloodied Fort Myers woman into bushes after a golf cart crash, police said.

Timothy Jacob Foxworth, of North Carolina, faces charges of DUI and leaving the scene of a crash that led to the death of 51-year-old Shelly Osterhout, a woman who gained national attention when she opened her wedding reception to a crowd of strangers at the Bell Tower Shops in south Fort Myers.

He crashed the golf cart in the area of Buena Vista Boulevard and State Road 44 on July 16, police in the Sumter County city of Wildwood, Florida said. Osterhout, who was Foxworth’s passenger, succumbed to her injuries July 20.

Witnesses saw Foxworth drag Osterhout into bushes by the road after the crash and leave the scene wearing a bloody shirt, police said. He was spotted driving the cart, which belongs to his father, away from where Osterhout was found.

Police tracked down Foxworth and took him into custody. He admitted drinking at local bars with Osterhout, police said. He told police Osterhout fell out of the golf cart and was unable to stand up, and that he dragged her to the median, placed her down in a flower bed and fled the scene.

Foxworth, who was released from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office on a $25,000 bond, faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident with great bodily injuries and DUI with serious injuries.

Osterhout married Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Johnson on Oct. 10, 2015. Hundreds turned out after they invited the public to join them for their reception after a private ceremony.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.