Palm Beach Woman Hits Bicyclist, Takes Golf Lesson

COPS: Hits Bicyclist, Drives to Country Club, Gives Mercedes To Valet.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Palm Beach woman struck a bicyclist, then continued on to a country club where she turned over her Mercedes to a valet and took a golf lesson. That’s the claim made by police against Ellen Richman. BocaNewsNow.com obtained the official arrest report about the alleged hit and run golfer, filed by police in the Town Of Palm Beach.

>>On March 18, 2025 I found probable cause to arrest and charge Ellen Schapps Richman (W/F DOB 02/09/1949) with Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury in violation of F. S. S. 316.027(2)(b) in conjunction with a Motor Vehicle Crash that occurred on March 18, 2025 at approximately 0927 hours in Palm Beach, Florida. The facts are as follows: On March 18, 2025 at approximately 0927 hours it was determined that a motor vehicle crash occurred on the 700 block of Country Club Road in Palm Beach, Florida while Ellen Schapps Richman was operating a 2017 Mercedes Benz GL 450 (FL Tag 37EIPX) in an easterly direction on County Club Road. The Mercedes then struck a bicyclist (Justin Rogers (W/M DOB 10/15/1962) who was traveling in an easterly direction on same. 

After making initial contact with the bicyclist, Richman did not immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash, or as close thereto as possible, and did not remain at the scene of the crash as required under F. S. S. 316.062, but instead she continued to drive in an easterly direction while dragging both the bicyclist and his bicycle down the roadway. Richman then continued driving until she arrived at the Palm Beach Country Club (760 N. Ocean Boulevard Palm Beach, Florida) where she handed the Mercedes off to the valet. The bicyclist, who remained on scene after the crash stated that he believed that he was struck by a black of dark colored “Range Rover” SUV that had left the scene heading east on Country Club Road. The bicyclist then was assessed and later transported by Palm Beach Fire Rescue to St. Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach for a compound fracture to his tibia and fibula asi well as other lacerations and abrasions that were sustained to his left leg.

Following a canvass of the area Richman’s vehicle was located by available Patrol Units parked in the parking lot of the Palm Beach Country Club (760 N. Ocean Boulevard). These officers were then advised by staff that Richman recently arrived and was taking lessons on the golf course. I then arrived on scene and was able to determine that broken headlight glass, as well as a front bumper cover retention clip that was found on the scene, matched parts that were missing from the Mercedes. These missing parts along with the undercarriage damage that was found under the passenger side of the Mercedes was consistent with the vehicle involved in the type of crash that I was actively investigating and that occurred at 0927 hours on this date. I then took a voluntary and recorded statement from one of the valets who stated that when Richman arrived at the Palm Beach Country Club this morning that she immediately told him that she believed that she had struck something during her drive this morning. The valet and Richman then conducted a brief check of the rear and passenger side of the vehicle, but after finding no damage her Mercedes was moved from the Valet Stand to the parking lot. 

I then spoke with Richman, who after being read her Miranda Rights, provided me with a voluntary statement of the events that took place this morning. During that statement Richman stated that although she believed to have struck “something” on or about the 700 block of Country Club Road, but that at no time did she believe that it was a person and assumed that it was just a piece of debris on the roadway. Richman was then asked about the damage that was found on her vehicle and she further stated that it was all new and that she was not aware of any prior damage. Richman was then placed under arrest at 1238 hours in violation of F.S.S. 316.027(2)(b) (Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury, a felony of the second degree).<<

Richman, 76, of Crest Road in Palm Beach, was jailed and later released on $10,000 bond. A judge did find probable cause to continue the case against her. The condition of her alleged victim was unavailable as of Monday, March 24, 2025.