The Hannah Rapp cyclist death has led to manslaughter and aggravated assault charges against a 31-year-old Texas man who, according to the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, stopped his vehicle after passing two bicyclists, reversed, and struck the 26-year-old fire safety inspector and professional boxer on the morning of 18 July 2026.
Deputies were called to the 23000 block of FM 159 just before 10 a.m. and found Rapp lying in the road. She was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. Charles Eric Medina now faces both a manslaughter charge and an additional aggravated assault charge, the latter detailed in KCENTV’s report citing new court documents from the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities have described the incident as an isolated event. They have not confirmed whether road rage was a factor, and detectives say the investigation is continuing.
From Purdue Track to the WBC Title Fight
Rapp grew up in Yorktown, Indiana, and competed as a track athlete at Purdue University before relocating to College Station, Texas, where she made her professional boxing debut in 2024, according to the Austin American-Statesman. In College Station she also worked as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M University.
Her boxing career developed rapidly. She carried an 8-0-1 record with five knockouts into her most recent bout and held the NABF featherweight title, per Most Valuable Promotions. Last month, at the MVPW 04 event in Orlando, she challenged Tiara Brown for the WBC Featherweight World Title. Brown, from Fort Myers, Florida, successfully defended the belt by unanimous decision, the World Boxing Council confirmed. It was the first and only defeat of Rapp’s professional career.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement: ‘The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken. 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.’
Boxing Community Responds to the Hannah Rapp Cyclist Death
Most Valuable Promotions said Rapp had made a ‘lasting impression on everyone who had the opportunity to meet her.’ A statement posted to the promotion’s Instagram added: ‘She was a gifted athlete, a valued member of the boxing community and someone who was deeply respected by those around her.’
The FOX 44 report on the Brazos County crash was among the first local outlets to confirm the date of the incident. The fight photographs from the News-Press capture the last competitive chapter of a career that had, in less than two years as a professional, reached a world-title fight.
Medina has not yet entered a public plea. The aggravated assault charge, alongside the manslaughter count, broadens the potential sentencing exposure he faces under Texas law. With the investigation still open, prosecutors and the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office are expected to bring further findings before a grand jury.
