Texas Driver Charged With Killing Rising Boxer

A fast-rising featherweight contender is dead, and a Texas driver is facing a manslaughter charge. Authorities in Brazos County say 26-year-old boxer Hannah Rapp was fatally hit Saturday morning while cycling on FM 159 with her boyfriend, reports NBC News. According to a probable cause statement, driver Charles Medina, 31, sped past the pair, prompting Rapp's boyfriend to yell and raise his arms. "The defendant slammed on his brakes and skidded to a stop before putting his vehicle into reverse," said Deputy Sheriff Mike Stumpf in a statement. Medina then "rapidly accelerated in reverse and struck Rapp with his vehicle, knocking her backwards into the roadway."

Medina told investigators he believed the cyclists were trying to flag him down and that he reversed slowly, but deputies say skid marks and the crushed rear hatch of his 2008 Honda suggest he backed up at speed and appeared to steer toward something. He is being held on a manslaughter charge as the investigation continues. Rapp had challenged World Boxing Council women's featherweight champion Tiara Brown in a televised title fight in June, and while she lost in a unanimous decision, ESPN reports that Brown called her in a tribute "the best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro." The WBC called her a "relentless warrior" and "beacon of light." "She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family."