Teen Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Palma Sola Causeway Hit-and-Run

An 18-year-old has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison for a violent hit-and-run incident that occurred on the Palma Sola Causeway in August 2023.

Connor Fleener was sentenced in Manatee County court following a plea of no contest to multiple charges, including First Degree Attempted Murder. The charges stemmed from an August 8, 2023, altercation in which Fleener intentionally struck 36-year-old Juan Houston with his vehicle during a dispute on the side of Manatee Avenue West.

After initially driving away from the scene, Fleener turned around, accelerated, and deliberately hit Houston with his car before fleeing. He later abandoned the vehicle roughly a mile away and attempted to avoid law enforcement. He was apprehended later that same evening.

The investigation led Bradenton police to determine the hit-and-run was an intentional act. In addition to the attempted murder charge, Fleener was also convicted of driving without a valid license and causing serious bodily injury, as well as leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury.

As part of the sentence issued on February 5, 2025, Fleener will serve 12 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, with credit for time already spent in juvenile detention. Upon release, he will be under supervised probation for an additional 15 years.

Houston continues to recover from the severe injuries sustained in the crash.