UPDATE: Search Continues for Driver Behind Fatal Early July Hit-and-Run
We reported earlier in July on a fatal hit-and-run crash that took place within Orlando after three pedestrians were hit by a single car. This accident happened after another pedestrian was struck and killed close to Orange Blossom Trail and 41st Street. As mentioned in the earlier post, the three pedestrians had been traveling in a car down the roadway when they saw the first collision take place. Rather than continue driving, the driver of this car stopped on the shoulder and the three people exited the vehicle and began to cross the road in an attempt to help the other fatally injured person.
It was at this time that a Lexus traveling down the northern lanes of Orange Blossom Trail approached the area and crashed into the three individuals crossing the street. It is not known how the investigators have come to this conclusion, but the current reports state that the Lexus was traveling close to 100 mph. After hitting all three pedestrians, the driver of the Lexus sped away from the scene.
The updates from the Florida Highway Patrol indicated that while the driver of the Lexus remains free and sought after, the Lexus itself was discovered as well as some of the driver’s movements following the fatal collision. We know, for instance, that the driver of the car left the area and drove to Central Station Apartment Complex, located along North Orange Avenue. From between 3:15 and 4:15 in the morning, the car remained at a garage near this complex. At around 4:15 in the morning a tow truck arrived, the car was loaded up, and then taken away from the apartment building. It was by reviewing this information (which was likely in the form of surveillance footage) that the police were able to locate the Lexus itself.
After finding the car, the police reached out to the car’s owner. According to the reports, it is not believed that the owner of the vehicle was the person behind the hit-and-run that took place. It is not clear if the owner of the car knows the person who was driving the car.
The FHP continue to search for the person responsible and are currently offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who helps them locate the individual.
Sources:
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.