ORLANDO, FL – Authorities in Orange County have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly drove his car multiple times over a pedestrian’s head during a late-night incident at a northwest Orlando intersection.
Jarrell Noah Jones faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder following the violent episode, which took place just before midnight on September 16 at the crossroads of Silver Star Road and Belco Drive, about five miles away from downtown Orlando.
Emergency crews responding to the scene discovered a man suffering grave head injuries. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Medical staff determined he had sustained a fractured skull and several brain bleeds, leaving him unable to communicate with investigators.
According to law enforcement, the confrontation was witnessed in its entirety by an Uber driver who was parked next to the suspect’s silver Dodge Dart sedan as the incident unfolded. The witness reported stopping at a red light around 11:47 p.m. when the victim walked northbound past the front of both parked vehicles.
Investigators say Jones then turned his vehicle’s wheels toward the pedestrian before accelerating and striking him. Accounts gathered by the sheriff’s office allege that, after initially running the victim over, Jones backed his car over the man’s head, drove forward, and repeated the process, resulting in severe injuries. Authorities noted that after the collision, Jones sped away from the scene.
Police later reviewed traffic camera footage and obtained a search warrant, which linked Jones to the vehicle involved. Statements from two passengers inside the car provided additional, though conflicting, accounts of what happened. One passenger, riding in the back seat, told investigators he could recall little about the incident beyond an unknown man approaching and yelling at them, claiming to have “blacked out” until returning home.
Jones’s girlfriend, seated in the front, reported that an unfamiliar man had come toward the car as they waited at a red light en route to a fast-food restaurant. She said Jones honked his horn, moved the vehicle forward, and struck the individual, later telling her, “I thought he had something,” when pressed for an explanation. According to her statement, the collision appeared intentional.
In a separate interview, Jones denied any involvement and asserted he did not see anyone in front of his car, stating he was simply driving to a nearby restaurant with the passengers. However, detectives pointed out inconsistencies between his version of events and those provided by his companions.
Further evidence emerged after police obtained access to Jones’s cellphone. Investigators reported discovering an online search conducted the morning after the incident for “ways to cover up a hit n run,” and found that multiple conversations had been deleted from Jones’s device during the time frame surrounding the incident.
Jones is currently being held at the Orange County Detention Center without bond as the investigation continues. The date for his initial court appearance has yet to be announced.