FHP Authorities Searching for Orange County Hit-and-Run Crash Suspect
With the high hopes of apprehending the alleged offender, traffic detectives with the Florida Highway Patrol in Orange County recently released a short clip of surveillance video footage which recorded a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred over a week ago along Colonial Drive.
According to the investigation being conducted by officers with the Florida Highway Patrol, it was shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Monday, October 18, 2021, when a 26-year-old driver of a white pickup was traveling in the westbound direction of Colonial Drive approaching the street’s intersection with Commerce Boulevard. As the truck’s driver, whose name has yet to be released to the public, pulled their vehicle up to Commerce Boulevard, a black passenger vehicle seemingly appeared from nowhere, violently slammed into the pickup truck, then fled the scene of the accident. The extreme force of impact from the collision caused the truck to flip over on the roadway, creating sparks as it continued to skid across the concrete before coming to a complete stop when it crashed into a nearby light pole.
Within a matter of minutes after the pickup truck’s accident, a good samaritan driving a van stopped their vehicle in the western lane of Colonial Drive to help the 26-year-old driver. Collision reports from the responding Orange County authorities indicate that almost immediately after the van was put into park, an oncoming SUV driving in the same lane was unable to avoid a collision and crashed into the van.
The 26-year-old driver of the pickup truck did not survive the initial collision.
Investigators with the local law enforcement agencies are now reaching out to the public for assistance with the identification of the driver who was behind the wheel of the passenger vehicle when the accident occurred. “Troopers are looking for a black sedan with right-side damage. Witnesses tell the investigating trooper that the truck and the sedan appeared to be street racing prior to the contact and the crash,” said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Kim Montes in a statement to the press.
Anyone with relevant information regarding the black sedan or its driver has been asked to contact the state’s Crimeline at (800) 423-8477 or the Florida Highway Patrol at (407) 737-2213.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
