Pro Boxer Hannah Rapp Killed by Driver Who Reversed Into Her While She Was Cycling in Texas, Sheriff Says

Hannah Rapp, a 26-year-old professional boxer, was killed Saturday morning while riding her bicycle on FM 159 near Navasota, Texas. The Brazos County Sheriff's Office says a driver passed her, stopped, put his car in reverse, and struck her.

Deputies responded to the crash just before 10 a.m., according to FOX 7 Austin. Rapp was found lying in the roadway. First responders treated her at the scene before taking her to a local hospital, where she died later that night.

The driver, 31-year-old Charles Medina, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Texas defines manslaughter as recklessly causing a person's death, a charge carrying two to 20 years in prison if he is convicted, according to The Guardian. He's being held at the Brazos County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond, per FOX 7 Austin.

The sheriff's office says Rapp was cycling with one other rider when Medina passed them both. Investigators say he then stopped his vehicle, reversed, and hit Rapp specifically. Deputies have called it an "isolated incident" and say the investigation is active and ongoing. No motive has been released, and the sheriff's office hasn't said whether Medina and Rapp knew each other or what, if anything, prompted the confrontation.

Jail records reviewed by The Guardian show Medina has prior arrests including deadly conduct by discharging a firearm, assault causing bodily injury, and reckless driving. Dispositions on those cases weren't immediately available, meaning it's not clear whether he was convicted, had charges dropped, or the cases are still pending.

Rapp was one of boxing's rising names. A native of Yorktown, Indiana, she ran track at Purdue before switching to boxing, winning two Indiana Golden Gloves titles as an amateur. She turned pro in April 2024 and built an 8-1-1 record with five knockouts, capturing the NABF Featherweight Championship within her first year as a pro, according to FOX 7 Austin.

On June 13, Rapp fought Tiara Brown for the WBC Women's World Featherweight title in Orlando, in a bout broadcast on ESPN+. She lost by unanimous decision, the first defeat of her career, but the fight drew wide praise. She'd relocated to College Station, Texas, training at Bryan Boxing Gym while working full-time as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M University.

Brown paid tribute to Rapp on social media, calling her "the best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro." She wrote that when Rapp asked for her autograph before their title fight, "it filled my heart because we were getting ready for war, yet she was still asking for my autograph." Brown added, "We fought a GREAT fight for the fans from the 1st bell to the last! It was my honor to share the ring with her."

WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán also released a statement. "The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken," he said. "She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family." Rapp's promoter, Most Valuable Promotions, called her a lasting presence in the sport, according to road.cc.

The Guardian included the detail about Medina's prior arrest history, information that FOX 7 Austin and Breitbart's coverage left out entirely. Where reporting differs is in scope, this represents a meaningful omission, since it's the only public indication of whether Medina has a documented pattern of violent or reckless conduct before Saturday.

No trial date has been set. Medina remained in custody as of Sunday morning, according to Brazos County jail records cited by The Guardian. The sheriff's office has not released details on what led to the confrontation, and it's not yet clear whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges once the investigation concludes.