Florida man arrested after fatal hit-and-run crash with e-bike

News Florida man arrested after fatal hit-and-run crash with e-bike The pickup truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash was located on Aug. 12, 2026, in south Vero Beach and towed to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office Forensic Services Building. USA TODAY Network, Reuters A 25-year-old Vero Beach man was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash with an e-bike nearly a month later, according to Indian River County court documents. Michael Steigerwald was arrested Sept. 3 and charged with failing to stop or remain at a crash involving death related to the Aug. 9 crash that killed e-bike rider Steven Edward Poteat, 48, of Vero Beach, according to court documents. The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. Aug. 9 when an e-bike rider, later identified as Poteat, was traveling west in the westbound lane of Eighth Street approaching the intersection of 14th Avenue, according to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Indiana Miranda. A pickup truck, later identified as driven by Steigerwald, was approaching behind the e-bike and took evasive action in a southwest direction but didn't avoid the e-bike, according to Miranda. The truck fled the scene without its driver rendering aid or contacting law enforcement. The truck partially entered the eastbound lane, and its right side hit the e-bike, according to Miranda. Poteat tumbled onto the roadway and came to a rest on the eastbound lane of Eighth Street. He was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he was pronounced dead. Witnesses traveling eastbound on Eighth Street saw a white pickup truck traveling westbound approaching 14th Avenue swerve toward their lane and then back into the westbound lane before it fled the scene, according to court documents. Both witnesses saw debris in the roadway and found Poteat lying in the eastbound travel lane, according to court documents, and they remained on scene and helped him until first responders arrived. Law enforcement officials began looking for the pickup truck described as a light-colored Ford F-150 between the years of 2015 and 2020 missing its passenger sideview mirror, according to Miranda. Indian River County sheriff's deputies initially responded to the crash before FHP took over the investigation. A tip from Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers provided the tag number for a white 2015 Ford F-150 truck registered to Steigerwald, according to court documents. A Flock camera search on the truck confirmed its passenger sideview mirror was intact on Aug. 9 but missing on Aug. 10. Law enforcement officials found the pickup truck on Aug. 12 behind a home in south Vero Beach and towed to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office Forensic Services Building, according to court documents. FHP officials served a warrant for Steigerwald's arrest on Sept. 3 at his last known address in south Vero Beach, according to court documents. Steigerwald remained in the Indian River County Jail on Sept. 8 with a $500,000 bail, according to the jail's website. His next scheduled court date is Oct. 14 before Judge Anastasia Norman, according to court documents. Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida man arrested after fatal hit-and-run crash with e-bike Reporting by Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect The pickup truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash was located on Aug. 12, 2026, in south Vero Beach and towed to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office Forensic Services Building. PROVIDED BY FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATR USA TODAY Network, Reuters Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect This story was originally published September 8, 2026 at 12:35 PM.