PalmHarbor
Current Weather
- Today
- 75°
- Local every day in
Robert Henry Raymer Jr., 54, of Holiday was killed in the Dec. 12 crash when his pickup truck was hit by a stolen BMW driven by Jonathan Peter Bytautas, 29, of Clearwater, authorities say.
The man who authorities say was driving a stolen BMW that caused a deadly crash on Curlew Road back in December is now charged with one count of vehicular homicide.
Jonathan Peter Bytautas, 29, was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 23, following his release from St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, according to Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Steve Gaskins. Bytautas was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail with bond set at $250,000.
Bytautas had been hospitalized since the Dec. 12 crash, which happened around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of McMullen Booth and Curlew roads in Palm Harbor. FHP Investigators say Bytautas was driving a 2008 BMW 550i when he ran a red light on McMullen Booth and crashed into a Chevy pickup driven by Robert Henry Raymer Jr., 54, of Holiday. Raymer died at the scene of the crash.
The vehicles collided with a third vehicle, a pickup truck, during the crash. The pickup was driven by 60-year-old George Neil Paajanen of Palm Harbor. He suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
Clearwater Police say the BMW driven by Bytautas had been stolen from a Clearwater home the night before the crash. The case is still under investigation, according to Clearwater Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Watts.
Bytautas is a Clearwater resident.
Correction: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect date for when the BMW was reportedly stolen.
Related-
Want the news delivered to your email box every morning? Subscribe to the Palm Harbor Patch newsletter. It's free and we don't give out your email address. Sign up here.
Jackass
2:09 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Nice going you piece of crap....normally if you steal a car...your on your best behaviour going slow ..obeying the rules of the road... cause you don't wanna get caught...but nooooooooo you speed and kill someone...you manslaughtering idiot...
Teri Adams
12:55 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
What I don't get is the car was stolen in 2011 from Clearwater? He was released from prison in August, where did he get it? That person should be prosecuted too. Ditto!
Jacque Mioff
3:43 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
And where's the girlfriend with her smart comments about how great a guy he is? Let this low life rot! Scumbag.
Lara Bush
4:45 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I don't know who flagged your comment as inappropriate (ignorant moron)....what was inappropriate was that he took the life of a wonderful friend, father, and grandfather. Nice post.
ticked off
4:28 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I hope we can pile on enough charges and give him enough time he'll just hang himself with his own underwear in his prison cell.
Daughter
5:12 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Knowing my dad, he was right there with the officers when this guy was arrested, laughing the whole way that he was still in his hospital gown! I am looking forward to the next steps in this whole process. Before this is all over this guy will never forget my dad's name because I won't let him. And it should have been homicide. Because hitting someone at 102 mph is just as bad, if not worse, than shooting them with a gun.
Walt Kowalski
6:53 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Are thoughts are with you! Sorry for your loss.
Lara Bush
7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I agree homicide would have been more appropriate. If you need anything please let me know.
Teri Adams
12:56 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Paul Allen
6:52 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Let's hope this piece of garbage never gets out of prison. He should get life!
Justice Forall
9:49 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Why is he in the Hillsborough County Jail??? He should be at the Pinellas County Jail~ Did they really take him to the wrong jail??
Justice Forall
9:54 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
...and the tear drop tattoos, in gangs they get a teardrop for each person they kill~ are they going to look into that too? This is one pathetic person... couldn't they have just dumped him in a alligator infested lake somewhere?
Sunde Farquhar
10:04 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Hi Justice for all. I believe the arrest warrant was issued in Hillsborough County because that's where the hospital is located, which is where the suspect was also located when he was arrested. Hope this makes sense!
Teri Adams
1:13 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
I just looked it up in Hillsborough and Pinellas has a hold on him. The only thing I can think of is that they had to take the scumbag to a free hospital and had to arrest him there.
Justice Forall
10:14 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
which brings me to another question... Countryside hospital was right there, why the need to transport to tampa?? He lives in Clearwater, stole the car from Clearwater, and then crashes in Palm Harbor~ ALL Pinellas County, so where's the logic to him going to tampa? The cost of transporting and then from Hillsborough to Pinellas is just going to buy him some time~
Sunde Farquhar
10:29 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
I'm guessing he was transported as a trauma alert because of the extent of his injuries. I think St.Joseph's Hospital in Tampa and Bayfront Medical Center in St.Pete are designated trauma hospitals and it was probably quicker to take him to St. Joe's. Also, FHP was the arresting agency.
Anne Onomous
10:21 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Not so tough looking now with his little hospital "dress" on, now is he? May he eternally drop the soap in the shower and learn to take it like a man..... and since he's such a bad ass - without any "tears". What a worthless drain on society.
Swiffer Wet Jet
11:17 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
What sort of lawyer or advisor does this maggot have to still have his Facebook page wide open in all it's glory? Are some people really just that stupid?
Teri Adams
1:35 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
This fine upstanding citizen's Facebook Page is still active. His favorite quote is "it is what it is love me or hate me." His calls his friends "crackas" and says "yo, holla" a lot. He joined in August of 12' after he was released from PRISON. Mark my words, one of the other "fine upstanding citizens" that he is friends with on that page were somehow involved in the theft of that car. Take a look at it, they are all boils on the butt of humanity. There is no way to report it to admin. on Facebook, they let everyone get away with whatever they want on that site now. Disgusting.
Justice Forall
2:22 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
I guess BayCare is not such a great hospital... how embarrassing to be the hospital right where the accident occurred and the people have to be transported to Tampa.. I hope I'm not anywhere near a BayCare hosp if a life or death incident occurs!
Teri Adams
2:39 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
@Justice - I don't think it had anything to do with that. JMO, St. Joseph's Hospital and Bayfront are Trauma for low income.
Jackass
2:52 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
His facebook page I agree is disgusting....he is tattooed from neck to toe...not that a tattoo is bad...but head to toe ?...thug style...he will fit right into prison cause he looks the part...not only was he speeding in that car @100mph but ran the red light...poor guy in truck had no chance...:o( coulda been you or me...
Sunde Farquhar
3:10 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Hi everyone, just updated the story with this info- Clearwater Police say the BMW driven by Bytautas had been stolen from a Clearwater home the night before the crash. We're working on getting more info from Clearwater PD.
Bob Slob
4:28 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
This whole thing is just a sad sad loss for the man who passed and the pain his poor family have to endour just knowing there fathers last vision were headlights coming at him at 102 mph with no way to avoid being hit. Once a convict thug, always a convict thug. Now he can hang out with a bunch of dudes all looking at him like a new fresh piece of booty for years and years to come... Robert Henry your a loser and thankfully have used the last breath of air out in the free world for the rest of your life.. TaTa loser..
Teri Adams
6:30 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
His name is Jonathan Peter Bytautas. Robert Henry Raymer Jr., 54 was the one he killed in the crash.