Boxer Hannah Rapp dies after being hit by car while cycling

Charles Medina arrested on manslaughter charge

Hannah Rapp, a professional boxer who in June challenged Tiara Brown for the World Boxing Council women’s featherweight championship, was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while bicycling in Brazos County, Texas. She was 26.

The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Rapp and a fellow bicyclist were riding on a local road when 31-year-old Charles Medina passed them in his car, stopped, and drove his vehicle in reverse. Medina then hit Rapp, the agency said. Emergency responders brought her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Deputies booked Medina on a count of manslaughter, which Texas law defines as recklessly causing a person’s death. The sheriff’s office said the case remained under active and ongoing investigation and provided no additional details, describing the incident as “isolated.”

Medina remained in custody on Sunday morning, and his bond amount had not been immediately set, according to Brazos jail records. Those records also showed prior arrests for Medina on counts including deadly conduct by discharging a firearm, assault causing bodily injury, and reckless driving. Dispositions for those cases were not immediately available. If eventually convicted of manslaughter in Rapp’s death, Medina could face between two and 20 years in prison under Texas law, the sheriff’s office said.

Rapp, a native of Yorktown, Indiana, had compiled eight victories — including five by knockout — and one draw over her first nine professional bouts. For her tenth outing, she challenged Brown of Fort Myers, Florida, for the WBC’s 126-pound (57.2 kg) world title belt. Brown retained her belt with a unanimous decision win at the Caribe Royal Orlando resort in Florida.

Word of Rapp’s death prompted tributes from colleagues in professional boxing.

“The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said in a prepared statement. “She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family. We join in the grief that overwhelms her loved ones, her team, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her throughout her brilliant career.”

Brown also paid tribute on social media. “We fought a GREAT fight for the fans from the [first] bell to the last,” she wrote. “It was my honor to share the ring with her.” Brown added that Rapp “was the best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro.”