The man who drew the attention of locals last year when police say he drunkenly drove a golf cart into a young woman at Tullytown’s St. Michael’s Fair and then skipped several court dates was killed in a vehicle accident Saturday morning in Maryland.
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department
According to information released by police in Prince George County, Maryland, Bruce Coppage, 30, of Gibsonton, Fla., was killed after a vehicle struck him.
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Police said Coppage suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“The preliminary investigation reveals that Coppage walked into the path of a car that was heading southbound on Ager Road. He was not in a crosswalk. The driver stayed on the scene and is cooperating with investigators,” according to police.
The death of Coppage comes weeks after he was sentenced to probation in connection with the summer 2013 crash that altered the life of a young woman, who has tens of thousands in medical bills and lasting physical problems resulting from the crash.
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Coppage had slurred speech, lethargic demeanor after he ran over a young woman with a golf cart at the Tullytown fair, according to police. They also said in court papers that he admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages prior to the accident. Officers asked the defendant if he could perform the field test and he told them he has problems with his knees at times, records show.
Police said the young woman struck by the golf cart suffered a serious injury and was “screaming in pain” when they arrived. The woman spent an extended period of time at St. Mary’s Hospital recovering from her injuries before going back to her home in the south.
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Coppage did not show up for two scheduled court appearances in 2013. He showed up to his first preliminary hearing, where he was free on unsecured bail. However, that was continued as he did not yet have a public defender. Coppage told District Judge Robert Wagner last year that he missed a scheduled meeting with a public defender because he was two hours late due to traffic.
A co-worker and a friend of the victim said she underwent several surgeries after the accident, which almost lead to the amputation of her arm. The co-worker said the woman traveled with the carnival and was from the south.
“She’s still suffering from this,” Assistant District Attorney A.J. Garabedian said following Coppages sentencing in April.
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Coppage was employed by Reithoffer Shows, which is based in Florida.
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