New details have emerged in the death of a Texas boxer over the weekend. One month after competing for a championship, loved ones are mourning the death of 26-year-old Hannah Rapp out of College Station, with 31-year-old Charles Eric Medina now facing manslaughter charges.
The incident occurred on Saturday, July 18. Rapp and her partner, Will Pollalis, were riding their bicycles along FM 159 when Medina drove past them before reportedly stopping his car, reversing and hitting Rapp with the vehicle, according to the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies arrived on the scene just before 10 a.m., and Rapp was transported to Baylor Scott and White hospital, but she died despite lifesaving efforts.
Officials identified Medina as the driver who reportedly struck Rapp and arrested him on charges of manslaughter.
Medina claimed that Rapp and Pollalis were trying to flag him down when he passed them on FM 159, resulting in him hitting his brakes and reversing. However he claims he reversed at 15 miles per hour and did not see Rapp until he hit her.
Sergeant Mike Stumpf wrote in his probable cause statement, shared with MySA, that the physical evidence of skid marks, the heavy damage to the vehicle and the fact Rapp was found lying face down in the road “contradicted the defendant’s account of reversing at low speed, indicating a heavy impact.”
Medina is now being held on a $250,000 bond as of Monday, July 20, according to jail records. This is the 13th time Medina has been booked into Brazos County Jail, dating back to November 5, 2012. Charges have ranged from public intoxication to criminal mischief, but also include assault, hit-and-run and reckless driving. Consequently, Rapp’s loved ones are calling for justice.
“His side of the story is that he was only going 15mph and didn’t see Hannah. but that was not the case. even police are arguing the legitimacy of his statement. He saw both Will and Hannah, and directly targeted Hannah on her bike,” Kimmie Ziebarth, who organized a GoFundMe in Rapp’s honor, wrote.
Rapp was born in Indiana but was living in College Station and working at Texas A&M University, according to the GoFundMe. She became a professional boxer in 2024 and had a record of eight wins, one draw and one loss. She had just competed for the WBC World Featherweight title in June but lost to Tiarra Brown.
The GoFundMe has raised almost $18,000 as of Monday, July 20, with all the money going toward funeral expenses, travel medical bills and unexpected costs for the Rapp family.
“Hannah was resilient. She was brave and insightful, always pushing others to do their best,” Ziebarth wrote in the GoFundMe. “She loved her family so incredibly much, and moving from Indiana to Texas meant distance for her friends and family. Hannah was an inspiration. Even on her hardest days, she continued to bring love, laughter, and light into the lives of others.”