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Police Charge Man In Hit And Run

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By STEVEN GIRARDI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 31, 2008

MULBERRY - Polk County sheriff's deputies arrested a Lakeland man early Saturday in the hit-and-run death of a 14-year-old boy.

Joseph Eugene Nobles, 54, of 1952 Vista View Drive, was arrested at his home and charged with hit-and-run and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, the sheriff's office said.

Nobles was being held later Saturday at Polk County Jail. Bail had not been set.
Deputies said Scotty Reeves was walking across State Road 60 in Mulberry on his way home from a store about 12:20 a.m. The teenager was with friends and talking on his cell phone when he was hit by a white pickup traveling east, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

The truck fled, and Reeves' friends removed him from the road. Reeves, of 113 Cesara Drive, Mulberry, was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

Rodgers said a traffic stop about 30 minutes later led deputies to Nobles.

Deputy James Jordan stopped Nobles in his pickup about 12:50 a.m. when he noticed the left headlight was broken. He had no information about the hit-and-run vehicle at the time and released the driver with a warning, Rodgers said.

A short time later, when he heard the vehicle description, Jordan remembered Nobles, and deputies drove to his home. They found the truck, with the damaged light and bloodstains, but Nobles was not home, Rodgers said.

Deputies said Nobles had gone to a restaurant with his wife. When he returned, he told them he had been driving home from work on S.R. 60 and remembered hitting something but did not stop, according to Rodgers.

Reporter Steven Girardi can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or sgirardi@tampatrib.com.

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