Rising boxer Hannah Rapp killed in Texas after driver strikes her bicycle

An up-and-coming boxer was killed Saturday after a driver struck her with his car while she was riding her bike in Brazos County, Texas.

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Deputies with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a major crash involving a vehicle and a bicyclist on the 23000 block of FM (Farm to Market Road) 159 at around 10 a.m.

The bicyclist, 26-year-old Hannah Rapp, was found lying in the roadway and unresponsive after being struck by a vehicle, according to a probable cause statement. Rapp was taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver, 31-year-old Charles Medina, had passed two bicyclists — Rapp and her boyfriend — while traveling along FM 159 at a high rate of speed, per the probable cause statement.

Rapp’s boyfriend “threw his arms up and hollered towards the defendant,” Deputy Sheriff Mike Stumpf said in the statement. “The defendant slammed on his brakes and skidded to a stop before putting his vehicle into reverse.”

Medina then “rapidly accelerated in reverse and struck Rapp with his vehicle, knocking her backwards into the roadway,” Stumpf said.

Rapp’s boyfriend told an investigator that Medina had driven at a high rate of speed within about a foot of them, prompting him to throw his hands up and yell.

He said Rapp’s head struck the car’s rear window when Medina backed into her.

Medina told the sheriff’s office that he thought the cyclists were “trying to flag him down” so he “stepped on his brakes which caused them to lock up before coming to a stop,” according to the probable cause statement. He also claimed he did not see Rapp when he was backing up “until the last moment before he hit her,” and was traveling at a speed of 15 mph.

Medina’s 2008 Honda was observed at the scene with a hatch that was crushed inwards and a shattered rear window, according to the sheriff’s office. Skid marks showing that Medina slammed on his brakes and rapidly accelerated backward were also spotted.

“The angle of the reverse skid marks appeared as if the defendant was steering towards something while backing up,” Stumpf said, adding that the evidence on the scene contradict Medina’s claim that he reversed at a low speed.

Medina was arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to online records. He is being held at the Brazos County Detention Center.

“The investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and review all available information,” the sheriff’s office said.

Rapp was building a name for herself in the boxing world, challenging World Boxing Council women’s featherweight champion Tiara Brown for the title just last month. The June 13 bout, held in Florida and broadcast on ESPN, ended in a unanimous-decision loss for Rapp.

In a statement, the WBC remembered Rapp as “a relentless warrior inside the ring” and “a beacon of light whose dedication and charisma left an indelible mark” on both the North American Boxing Federation and the WBC itself.

“The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán said in a statement. “She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family. We join in the grief that overwhelms her loved ones, her team, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her throughout her brilliant career.”

Supporters flooded Rapp’s Instagram with condolences following news of her death.

“Rest in peace,” one commenter wrote under her most recent post. “You had so much ahead of you and were such an inspiration.”