Man Allegedly Admitted Hit-and-Run

Posted on ri, Mar. 03, 2006
The Miami Herald

MIAMI BEACH
Man allegedly admitted hit-and-run to old friend, a cop A man being questioned in a deadly hit-and-run allegedly admitted his involvement to a Miami Beach detective who was a former high school classmate.
BY DAVID OVALLE

Not a typical high school reunion.

Inside police headquarters, Miami Beach Detective Jeffrey Motola saw former classmate Shane Michael Trucchio talking to investigators. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

I was the driver, Trucchio allegedly blurted to his old schoolmate, admitting he was behind the wheel last month in a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian, according to newly obtained police documents.

"The statement was made spontaneously and without questions by Detective Jeffrey Motola," police documents read.

Trucchio has not been charged in the Feb. 15 death of Juan Ramirez Rodriguez. He voluntarily appeared at the police station for questioning. His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, says his client is not guilty of any crime. "Regardless of what law enforcement alleges my client stated to his high school friend, there is insufficient evidence to prove that my client was driving at the time of the crash," he said.

Motola was not investigating the case. He and Trucchio, a between-jobs bartender who graduated from Miami Beach High in 1989, would occasionally surf together, Eiglarsh said.

Police and prosecutors say the case is still under investigation, said department spokesman Detective Bobby Hernandez.

The crash happened just after midnight on Feb. 15 as Rodriguez was crossing Indian Creek Drive around 67th Street.

Trucchio was driving a silver 2000 Daewoo Lanos when he allegedly hit Rodriguez, who suffered severe head trauma and died, police wrote. Witnesses wrote down the car's license plate, which police matched to a car parked in front of Trucchio's Bay Harbour Islands apartment. The car was found with damage to the right front fender, hood, bumper and windshield, police documents show.

Lead traffic homicide investigator, Officer Kevin Millan, found blood on the windshield.

"The physical evidence in no way proves he was behind the wheel at the time of the crash," Eiglarsh said.