Dr. Philip Henkin: Allegations of Killing a bicycle rider with his Tesla.
Reckless driving takes too many lives every year. This time, it was Dr. Philip Henkin who took the life of a cyclist when he was driving his Tesla extremely recklessly.
Adam Hasebroock, a Tampa resident who was pictured above in 2018 after taking first place overall in the TRI Pasco triathlon, died on November 4 after being hit by a car while bicycling on Lizards Tail Road in New Tampa.
Dr. Philip Henkin, the driver, was detained by police after being accused of homicide by vehicle.
One recent morning as dawn broke, a surgeon and a banker approached a curve in a New Tampa road from different directions.
Adam Hasebroock, a 43-year-old triathlete and bank branch manager, had gotten on his bike early on November 4 to get in some training miles. He was traveling south on Lizards Tail Road. Tampa physician Philip Henkin, known for exceeding speed limits, sped up in a Tesla automobile.
According to authorities, the Tesla entered the road from the incorrect side and struck Hasebroock Square in the face.
As a result of Hasebroock’s severe injuries, a traffic homicide detective would later note in an arrest report that Henkin was traveling at least three times the 20 mph speed limit.
The detective was correct, as evidenced by recently made public court documents that positively identified Hasebroock as the bicycle rider and brought fresh information to the case.
Actually, what happened at the 80 mph collision?
Hasebroock earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida after graduating from Leto High School in Tampa. According to Candi Ashley, a USF professor who taught Hasebroock in a handful of her classes, Hasebroock majored in wellness leadership. The discipline’s current name is exercise science.
Ashley, a triathlete herself who participated in competitions with Hasebroock, noted that although Hasebroock finally decided to pursue a career in finance, he remained an enthusiastic and successful triathlon.
Ashley believed that Hasebroock really wanted to push himself and set challenges for himself, and that was one way he did it. She described Hasebroock as cheerful, kind, and encouraging.
Hasebroock got married in 2007 and bought a house in New Tampa with his wife Yvette. According to his LinkedIn profile, Hasebroock had already managed three bank branches by 2011.
He began working for Regions Bank back in 2011 as a branch supervisor for the Bearss Avenue branch, which is what he was doing on the morning of November 4 when he left for a ride.
Compared to other nearby streets, Lizards Tail Road, a two-lane road along the west side of Interstate 75 with low traffic, ought to be one of the safer options for cyclists.
Located just north of West Tampa Palms Boulevard on the southern end of the street is the USAA campus. It happened at around 7:32 a.m., around 10 minutes before daybreak, and Hasebroock was heading toward that region, which is a few miles south of his home.
According to court records, Dr. Philip Henkin was traveling north in a 2016 Tesla Model S as he neared a sweeping bend close to Park Centre Drive, which leads to the USAA campus. Although there are no center line signs, Lizards Tail Road is roughly three lanes wide.
Camera Surveillance Records Reveal Dr. Philip Henkin’s Poor Driving:
The Tesla was “apexing” the bend “to such a degree that the Tesla was fully in the southbound lane of travel,” according to video taken by a surveillance camera at a USAA entrance, according to two search warrant affidavits filed in the case.
Hasebroock may be seen in the video traveling south toward the middle of the road with his bike’s front and rear lights flashing. The affidavits claim that as the Tesla emerged from the bend, it struck Hasebroock in the head, instantly killing him. The vehicle then took a sharp left turn, spun about 180 degrees, and crashed into some trees on the right side of the road.
According to court filings, the force of the collision blasted a hole in the driver’s side windshield of the Tesla, and body camera footage from an officer who attended to the mishap revealed Dr. Philip Henkin’s arm and the blue scrubs he was wearing covered in plenty of blood.
Dr. Philip Henkin, who celebrated his 59th birthday on the previous day, informed the police that the Model S was a Tesla loaner car that he was using to get to work. According to records, he claimed that he felt he was driving at the legal limit, which he estimated to be 35 or 40 mph.
The following day, Detective James Snell of the Tampa Police Department prepared a warrant affidavit for the arrest of Henkin on a charge of vehicular homicide.
Surrender of Dr. Philip Henkin
Dr. Philip Henkin surrendered two days after the accident, was arrested, and was released around nine hours later after posting $7,500 bail. According to public records, he lives in Avila, a private golf and country club enclave in north Tampa.
Dr. Philip Henkin did not respond to an email left at his office. His lawyer, John Lauro, declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
In an email, Lauro stated, “Our condolences and sympathies go to those who passed away a loved one. During this time of mourning and reflection, we want to be extremely respectful.”
Reviews for Dr. Philip Henkin
The NeuroSpine Center’s website describes Henkin as a “groundbreaking neurosurgeon” who has been working in Florida for nearly two decades. According to the website, Dr. Philip Henkin focuses on surgeries that are minimally invasive and sophisticated spinal repair, and he is “the market share leader in spine surgery in Hillsborough County based on inpatient admission statistics.”
According to state and county records, Henkin has a history of being pulled over for exceeding the posted speed limit.
Other Traffic Charges Faced by Dr. Philip Henkin
- A Florida Highway Patrol trooper observed Dr. Philip Henkin speeding 112 mph in a four-door Porsche on Interstate 75 near Apollo Beach on March 3. He faced a $353 fine, but the matter was later dropped.
- In 2018, a deputy ticketed Henkin for driving 78 mph in a 50 mph zone on U.S. 41 in Lutz. A judge sentenced him to a fine and a 12-hour enhanced driver improvement course.
- A Tampa police officer had caught him driving the Porsche at 87 mph in a 55 mph zone on the Crosstown Expressway two years prior. That case, too, was dismissed.
Henkin is not longer authorized to attend a driver-improvement course to prevent points on his license, according to records, because he has hit the lifetime limit of five courses.
Henkin is now facing a potential second-degree criminal charge in the crash that killed Hasebroock, punishable by up to 15 years in jail. Charges in the case have not yet been filed by the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office.
Athlete fatalities on the road
Jim Magazine, an attorney for Yvette Hasebroock, said she and other close relatives have declined to comment on Hasebroock’s death as police and the State Attorney’s Office investigate.
Conclusion
As a result, after reviewing the entire accident story for which Dr. Philip Henkin is entirely accountable, we may conclude that he is a very terrible driver whose license should be withdrawn. Because he is not just accountable for one person’s accident, but many more.
