Hannah Rapp killed cycling in Texas weeks after title shot

Boxer Hannah Rapp died July 18 when a motorist struck her while cycling in Navasota, Texas, just five weeks after she challenged for a world title. The driver, Charles Medina, 31, is being held on manslaughter and aggravated assault charges after investigators said he reversed at high speed and hit the 26-year-old featherweight with enough force to shatter his rear windshield.

Medina claimed he was backing up slowly to help what he thought were cyclists flagging him down, according to a sworn affidavit obtained by The Guardian. But skid marks at the scene and the severity of the damage contradicted that account, investigators wrote. The Brazos County Sheriff's Office declined to label the case road rage but noted the physical evidence pointed to rapid acceleration in reverse. Medina has prior arrests for deadly conduct involving a firearm, assault causing bodily injury, and reckless driving, among other alleged offenses.

Boxing community mourns Rapp after world title bid

Rapp had challenged WBC women's featherweight champion Tiara Brown on June 13 at the Caribe Royale Orlando resort, losing on the scorecards but earning Brown's respect. "She was strong, tough & ready to show the world she belonged here," Brown wrote on social media, per The Guardian. "Hannah is the best opponent I have faced so far." Most Valuable Promotions, which staged the bout, called her "a beautiful person and a brilliant boxer" who "went to war and smiled right after."

Before turning pro, Rapp ran cross country at Purdue University and later worked as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She compiled an 8-0-1 record and won the NABF featherweight title before stepping up to face Brown. In a tribute video posted by Texas Combat Sports, Rapp said she was driven by the sport's incremental adjustments and tactics. "I believe in my heart that I'm a multi-world champ," she said in the clip.

A Change.org petition launched Monday is urging Texas lawmakers to expand judicial power to deny or revoke bond for defendants with documented violent driving histories. The Justice for Hannah Rapp petition had collected more than 3,300 signatures as of Tuesday. Yorktown, Indiana, her hometown of roughly 12,000 people, scheduled a candlelight memorial for her Wednesday evening.

Source: theguardian.com