Cape Coral man charged with felony after allegedly backing into Publix employee

A man on a grocery store run turned into a hit-and-run after he allegedly backed into a Publix employee, according to the arrest report.

“I took a screenshot of his license plate,” said witness Juliane Grano to WINK News reporter Camila Pereira over the phone. “Called the police, reported it to the police and then went to see whether or not the young man was alright. It’s the nurse in me; I can’t help but do that.”

The driver, who Cape Coral Police Department has identified as 68-year-old Kevin Kreymborg, is accused of hitting a Publix employee while backing out of a parking spot on May 7 and fleeing the scene.

Grano, who was visiting the area from New Jersey, said she needed to do something about it at the time.

“I followed him down Cape Coral [Pkwy], on down to Chiquita [Blvd], on to Del Prado [Blvd], finally he pulled over,” she said. “I advised him that he hit somebody in the parking lot of Publix. To which he said, ‘I didn’t see anybody. I didn’t see him,’ and he drove off. What a shame. Can’t imagine how he didn’t hear him. I heard him in my car several spots away with my windows up.”

Law enforcement quickly caught up with the driver of that pickup truck, as the employee’s mother chose to press charges.

According to the arrest report, Kreymborg told officers he had backed out of the parking spot, not using his side or rear-view mirrors but only his rear camera. That’s how he completely missed the employee and hit him with his truck.

However, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the right way to back out of a parking spot is to slow down while looking to the rear.

“If somebody’s backing up a car, they should be able to turn behind and look,” Peterson Registre said, an administrator at Classic Traffic School. “Even if they have a camera in the car, they should turn around and look to see because if you don’t turn around and look, then you’re not going to see a whole 360-degree angle when you’re driving.”

WINK News reporter Camila Pereira did speak with the employee’s mother Wednesday afternoon. She said her son is doing well.

As for Kreymborg, he is charged with a felony for a hit and run with personal injury. He is set to appear before a judge on June 10.