VERO BEACH — A 25-year-old man of Vero Beach has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of an e-bike rider last month, as stated in records kept by the Florida Highway Patrol and Indian River County court.
Michael Steigerwald was arrested on September 3 when the troopers went to his most recent address in south Vero Beach. He was taken directly into the Indian River County Jail without any problems and was charged with failing to stop or remain at a crash which resulted in death.
Steven Edward Poteat, who was 48 and lived in Vero Beach, was identified as the victim.
The crash took place on Aug. 9 at about 8:57 p.m. at Eighth Street and 14th Avenue in unincorporated Indian River County. FHP Lt. Indiana Miranda said Poteat was riding west in the westbound lane of Eighth Street, approaching the intersection, when a pickup coming up behind him swerved southwest and partly into the eastbound lane.
The e-bike was hit by the right side of the truck, and Poteat was thrown onto the pavement before coming to rest in the eastbound lane, Miranda said. The driver did not stop, give assistance, or call the police.
Investigators were told by people who were going east on Eighth Street that they had seen a white pickup drive into their lane, then pull back west before disappearing from the area. They discovered Poteat in the road and remained by his side until assistance arrived, the court records state.
Poteat was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he was pronounced dead.
The deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office were the first to arrive at the scene. The Florida Highway Patrol then took over the investigation. Troopers said the suspect vehicle was a light-colored Ford F-150, most likely between 2015 and 2020, and was missing its passenger-side rearview mirror.
Court documents state that a tip from Crime Stoppers on the Treasure Coast provided a tag number for a white 2015 Ford F-150 registered to Steigerwald, and records from a Flock camera indicated that the truck’s passenger-side mirror was still there on August 9 but had disappeared the following day.
On August 12, deputies found the pickup truck behind a house in Vero Beach and towed it away to the Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Building.
Bond was set at $500,000. Court records list Steigerwald’s next appearance for Oct. 14 before Circuit Judge Anastasia Norman.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Florida Highway Patrol at **TIPS (**8477).