A tire shop worker was struck after trying to stop a customer from leaving without paying for service, according to investigators.

MASCOTTE, Fla. — A 33-year-old Florida man is accused of vehicular homicide after police said he drove into a tire shop employee who tried to stop him from leaving without paying, then fled as she suffered injuries that later turned fatal.

Authorities say the case grew from a dispute over $95 at a small Lake County business into a death investigation that ended with an arrest, a high bond and warnings from police that more charges could still be possible. Ashley Tyer, 40, died March 21 after the March 16 encounter at Just Stop Tires in Mascotte, and Brandon Charles Gregory Lewis now remains jailed while prosecutors move the case forward.

According to a probable cause affidavit described by police and local news reports, Lewis brought a black Hyundai Equus to the shop on March 16 for replacement tires. Investigators said the work was finished, but Lewis and a woman with him got into the car and tried to leave without paying. Shop employee James Kelly told investigators the bill was $95. Police said Lewis removed the jacks from the vehicle himself and backed up, striking another worker as he tried to get out. The car then moved from the lot toward the road, where it stalled. That pause drew three employees, including Tyer, toward the vehicle. Kelly later told WESH that workers already had the tag number, the car and the customer’s name, and believed police could track him down.

Police said the stalling car briefly turned the encounter into a face-to-face argument. Investigators wrote that Lewis got out and told the workers, “you broke my car,” then went to the trunk, retrieved an item and returned to the driver’s seat. By then, police said, Kelly and another employee had recorded the license plate and contacted officers. Witnesses told investigators Tyer stood in front of the car as Lewis tried to leave again. Police said Lewis then drove into her, lifting her onto the hood before she was thrown off and hit the ground. Investigators also wrote that witnesses saw the car swerving in what appeared to be an effort to dislodge her. Kelly later said Lewis “just scooped her up,” a line that became central to local coverage of the case.

The prosecution case, as outlined in the affidavit and during Lewis’ first court appearance, rests on a mix of witness accounts, video and physical evidence. Police said they used surveillance footage from the shop to identify the suspect and later tied the Hyundai to the woman seen with him that day. When officers located the vehicle in neighboring Polk County and conducted an investigative traffic stop, they found damage that matched the crash narrative, including a cracked passenger-side windshield and a dent on the same side of the hood, according to police. After being read his rights, investigators said, Lewis denied knowing Mascotte and claimed he had been at Hard Rock Cafe from noon to 4 p.m. on March 16. Police said the video evidence placed him at the shop during the incident.

Prosecutors also raised Lewis’ driving history as they argued over bond. During the Tuesday hearing, the state said Lewis had a prior Ohio conviction for negligent vehicular homicide, a case that had been reduced from a more serious charge. Court reporting from the hearing also said his Florida driver’s license had been suspended since 2021. Lewis told the judge he buys and sells cars for work. The judge set bond at $500,000, above the amount prosecutors requested in local TV coverage, and Lewis remained in custody at the Lake County Jail. The exact wording of any final charge, and whether prosecutors seek additional counts tied to the initial impact with another worker or the alleged theft attempt, had not been publicly detailed.

For the people at Just Stop Tires, the case is not only about the accused driver but about the woman they lost. Tyer had worked at the shop for seven years, coworkers said, and owner Roy Cruz described her as central to the business. Kelly, speaking in television interviews after her death, called her tough, caring and deeply woven into daily life at the shop. He said the workers were trying to stop a customer they believed they could identify, not step into a fatal confrontation. In that account, the danger changed in seconds once the vehicle moved again. Community members and coworkers began organizing support for Tyer’s family, and local reports said the shop planned a barbecue and candlelight vigil as the criminal case started to unfold.

The case now moves to its next procedural stage with Lewis’ next court appearance set for April 20. Investigators have said the inquiry remains active, and police have publicly left open the possibility of further charges or arrests as they continue reviewing evidence, witness statements and video.

Author note: Last updated April 16, 2026.