Florida Police Seek Tour Bus Driver for Clues in Homeless Man’s Injuries
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Florida police released surveillance video that shows a tour bus driver leaving a beaten panhandler at the hospital and then driving off.
Christopher Steven Brown, 34, is unable to speak and is fighting for his life three weeks after he was dropped off at Baptist Hospital South in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 28. Police have few clues to go on other than the surveillance video.
“It was apparent that he was beaten severely. He is in life- threatening condition,” Shannon Hartley, public information officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, told ABCNews.com.
Surveillance video released by the sheriff’s office showed the coach bus pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. The bus driver walked inside and requested a wheel chair. The next sequence showed a shirtless Brown, who appeared to be unconscious, lying sideways in a wheelchair. Three first responders are seen wheeling him into the hospital while the bus driver briefly watched and then left.
Police believe the driver may be a key link to helping them find out how Brown ended up in the hospital.
“He is is not [a suspect] at this time. We are just trying to locate him to find out where he encountered [Brown],” Hartley said.
The surveillance video yielded few clues about the bus, such as markings, Hartley said. He added that it was unclear which company the bus belonged to and whether it was carrying other passengers, but said it appeared to have come from the Orlando area.
Hartley said he hopes someone will come forward after seeing the surveillance video.
“We want to find out how this happened,” he said.
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