The family of a Florida woman says a date she met off of a dating app left her for dead after she fell off his motorcycle during their first date. The family filed wrongful death lawsuit on Friday against the man.
The Sun Sentinel reports that after Miles McChesney met Jennifer Amy St. Clair on the dating app Tinder, they saw each other for their first date on December 6. They joined two other couples and the group, all on Harley Davidson motorcycles, set out to visit bars in the Delray Beach area. On the way back home, Jennifer rode on the back of a motorcycle he borrowed from a friend, John E. Lewis.
According to a lawsuit filed by Jennifer’s family at the Broward County civil court, McChesney is accused of operating his motorcycle while intoxicated and negligent driving, which caused the death of his date. Authorities found Jennifer’s lifeless body off of Interstate 95 Atlantic Boulevard exit in Pompano Beach. The lawsuit also accuses the motorcycle owner, Lewis, of negligence.
Jennifer St. Clair and Miles McChesney: A woman on first date with man died after fall off motorcycle https://t.co/4uHE21cez2 pic.twitter.com/NKYumu557j
— infowe (@infowe) December 15, 2018
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Jennifer mysteriously ended up in the middle of the interstate. At some point, McChesney’s cousin, who was part of the group date that night, noticed St. Clair was no longer on the motorcycle with her date. He pulled his own motorcycle over and called 911, according to the Miami Herald. Todd Falzone, an attorney representing St. Clair’s family, said the cousin hung up with 911 when St. Clair’s date approached him.
McChesney apparently stopped briefly when Jennifer fell of the motorcycle, but he fled the scene without rendering aid, according to the lawsuit. Jennifer, left alone on the interstate, was struck by numerous vehicles and later pronounced dead on the scene.
“We believe she was struck by as many as nine vehicles,” Falzone said.
A few witnesses told police that they saw a man with a motorcycle standing over the woman’s body before he fled the scene. One of the drivers who accidentally ran over St. Clair stopped to call 911, but was surprised only a few others stopped to help.
“Laying across the road was what looked to be a body, and I couldn’t react in time and I ran it over. I came to a stop as fast as I could,” the man said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The driver indicated he stopped to talk to a motorcyclist after calling 911. The unnamed man reportedly told the driver that St. Clair was dead before getting on his motorcycle and driving away.
“I opened the door and asked, ‘Was that a person laying in the road?’ And he said, ‘Yes, she’s dead.’ As I was waiting, other traffic came along and ran her over again and again, and no one stopped,” the witness said. “Only three people stopped. And I can’t believe people can run over a body in the road and not stop.”
The Florida Highway Patrol hasn’t charged McChesney, a New York resident visiting Florida when the incident occurred, with any criminal charges. A spokesperson for FHP said they’re still investigating the crash.
“The only thing we can confirm is that she was a passenger on a motorcycle and ended up on the roadway. FHP is still investigating how she ended up on the roadway,” FHP Lt. Alvaro Feola said.
Immediately after the incident, McChesney retained attorney Russell Cormican. The attorney indicated he couldn’t yet comment on the case.
According to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, Jennifer was found with blunt force injuries on her body, but the manner of death is still undetermined, pending autopsy results.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers, at 954-493-8477. Up to $3,000 is being offered by the organization for any information that leads to an arrest. Anonymous tips are also accepted.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Jennifer St. Clair/Facebook]
