Smudge from the accident – revealed by dropped airpod

Peter Bradford Swing was arrested after only a few hours. Photo: Facebook/Martin County Sheriff’S Office

The 15-year-old was hit when he cycled into the grocery store to buy ice cream.

The driver disappeared after the accident.

But the police received unexpected help in tracking him down.

When Peter Bradford Swing, 49, was arrested by police, only a few hours had passed since he mowed down a 15-year-old on the evening of May 22.

A small dot on a map on the victim’s phone became his downfall.

Lochlan Nicol, 15, was just about to ride his bike at the local gas station in Jensen Beach, Florida, when an oncoming car suddenly swerved in front of him.

Flew in through the window

The collision was violent.

The 15-year-old flew into the car’s rear window on the right side with his head.

Nicol broke his nose and jaw and was knocked unconscious.

The driver pulled the boy in from the road and disappeared.

However, he brought with him the evidence that would soon be his case.

Nicol was taken by ambulance helicopter to hospital.

His girlfriend went to the crash site to collect his belongings that were left there.

Led the police right

She found his wallet, phone and Airpods case. There was only one earphone in the case.

When she brought the stuff to the hospital, the boyfriend, who was smart by then, went to his “Find my AirPods” app to see where the other earbud was.

The map showed an address about six kilometers from where he was hit.

The police were called there. Behind the house was a silver Hyundai Santa Fe with a broken window.

On the floor in the back seat was the missing earphone.

– It is unbelievable. People say it’s karma, says the 15-year-old’s father Derek Nicol to The New York Times.

The driver has stated that he “panicked” and therefore fled the scene of the accident. Photo: Facebook/Martin County Sheriff’S Office “A stroke of luck”

Swing couldn’t do much more than admit.

– It was a stroke of luck, says police officer William D Snyder to The New York Times.

He says that Swing stated in questioning that he panicked after the accident and therefore threw up. He has previously been in prison convicted of drug offences.

Now he risks up to 15 years in prison on suspicion of having left the scene of an accident where someone was seriously injured.

Lochlan Nicol was not wearing a bicycle helmet when he was hit. But he is expected to make a full recovery.

– He has realized that he was lucky. It has begun to dawn on him that he could have died, says the father to The New York Times.