Hannah Rapp, a 26-year-old boxer, was killed last weekend in Navasota, Texas, when a local man struck her with his car while she cycled. The man was taken into custody by the local sheriff’s department on a count of manslaughter.
Rapp, who had resided in Texas for the last three years, competed for the World Boxing Council (WBC) women’s featherweight championship against Tiara Brown just last month. She had registered eight victories, including five by knockout, and has drawn but once during her first nine pro career bouts. Her match with Brown was just her 10th outing.
Rapp and her boyfriend went cycling on the morning of July 18 when they encountered a hatchback car on the highway driven by a 31-yearold Charles Medina, who reportedly sped past the couple from behind. Rapp’s boyfriend responded by raising his hands and yelling, at which point Medina slammed on his brakes, skidding to a stop before accelerating in reverse.
Ultimately, Medina hit Rapp so forcefully that his “rear windshield was shattered completely”, wrote investigators. He allegedly left skidmarks from having “rapidly accelerated backwards” and “steering towards something while backing up”.
Emergency responders found Rapp unresponsive lying face down in the roadway, and pronounced her dead after arriving at a hospital.
Investigators who spoke with Medina say he claimed to have believed Rapp and her boyfriend were flagging him down as he passed them. He also alleged that he was backing up at a slow speed of about 15 miles per hour and didn’t see Rapp until the instant before he struck her.
Investigators say “the physical evidence on scene, including skid marks, the severity of damage to the vehicle and the victim’s final resting position” contradict Medina’s account. The sheriff’s office therefore booked Medina on a count of manslaughter, which Texas law defines as recklessly causing a person’s death.
Notably, Medina has prior arrests in connection with allegations of deadly conduct, including discharging a firearm, assault causing bodily injury and reckless driving.
He is currently held in a county jail in lieu of a $250,000 bail bond, and could receive up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted.
Regarding Medina’s rap sheet, a petition was launched on Change.org last Monday urging Texas lawmakers to pass legislation “expanding judicial authority to deny or revoke bond in cases involving defendants with documented violent and dangerous driving histories.” The petition had 3,300 signatures as of Tuesday.
Rapp’s family and loved ones, the boxing community and others have expressed their grief over the loss and admiration for Rapp’s ambition, devotion and kindness online, along with their desire to keep her memory alive in the public consciousness.