Deputies: Clay County man arrested after striking motorcyclist, leaving scene

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — A man was arrested Sunday night after deputies say he struck a motorcyclist on Russell Road and fled the scene of the crash.

Christopher Robert Blache, 30, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury and careless driving, according to an arrest report from the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

The crash happened just after 8 p.m. in the 3200 block of Russell Road. The motorcycle had damage from what appeared to be a rear-end collision and was missing parts, the report detailed.

A witness told deputies before the crash, they observed a silver Toyota "driving erratically" from Interstate 295 south on U.S. 17. When they turned north on to Russell Road/County Road 209, there was a long line of cars. The Toyota attempted to pass the cars in the southbound lanes, but could not due to oncoming traffic.

When the Toyota merged back into northbound traffic, it struck the motorcycle. Deputies began looking for a silver Toyota that had a firefighter sticker on the driver's side rear window and had significant damage to the front right corner.

After the crash, several people stopped to help the motorcyclist, who was taken to Orange Park Medical Center with a laceration on his face and road rash and is expected to recover.

Blache's vehicle was located by deputies after 10 p.m. and blue and white transfer paint that appeared to come from the motorcycle was found on his vehicle. A blue and white part that appeared to come from the motorcycle was also found on the ground near the vehicle, the report detailed.

Blache was taken to Orange Park Medical Center for a head injury sustained in the crash and was then taken to the Clay County Jail.

Any witnesses to the crash or to the careless driving that happened before the crash are asked to contact CCSO at (904) 264-6512.

Cox Media Group