West Palm driver charged in hit-and-run that killed woman, 23, in July

WEST PALM BEACH — Police have arrested the driver they say struck and killed a 23-year-old woman pedestrian in July.

German Cadet, 56, of the 500 block of 38th Street, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. His bail has been set at $75,000 and he was ordered to have no contact with the victim's family. Though Cadet left the scene, West Palm Beach police said they tracked him down within hours.

Madison Gerhard was crossing 45th Street near Interstate 95 when a van driving westbound collided with her shortly before 5 a.m. July 8. The impact threw Gerhard about 175 feet, killing her instantly, according to a police report.

Authorities closed 45th Street for four hours while they collected evidence, including a broken-off piece of equipment that ultimately led officers to the man’s 1997 Chevrolet Astro parked in the backyard of a home in West Palm Beach. Cadet lived not far from where the accident occurred.

According to the arrest affidavit, Cadet acknowledged in July that he hit something but did not know that it was a person. Cadet was not charged until an analysis of DNA collected on the van was completed. The analysis indicated that Cadet was likely the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Gerhard. According to her LinkedIn page, she was a New Jersey native who studied psychology at Florida State University.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Arrest made in West Palm Beach hit-and-run fatal following a DNA test