Hillsborough County Hit-and-Run Crash Kills Local Pedestrian

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 16, 2022

Authorities in Hillsborough County are currently requesting the public’s assistance with the identification of a driver and vehicle believed to have been involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash last weekend on Orient Road in Tampa.

According to initial collision details released to the public, it was shortly after midnight on Saturday, November 12, 2022, when local resident Justin Padlo was purportedly walking down the middle of Orient Road heading in the direction of Zeimis Drive. As the pedestrian and father of a young son approached the area of the upcoming intersection, he was struck by a Dodge Neon. The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road in order to assist the injured man, who was now lying within the northbound lane of Orient Road.

In addition to the driver of the Dodge, several witnesses to the auto accident rushed to aid Mr. Padlo. They were on the phone with 9-1-1 operators receiving pulse detection instructions when moments later, a silver SUV seemingly appeared from nowhere, swerved around stopped traffic, and ran over the injured pedestrian. The sport utility vehicle fled the scene of the crash immediately afterward, but not before dragging the badly injured pedestrian down the street.

Hillsborough County first responders and Tampa medical teams were dispatched to the scene of the accident and transported the crash victim to the nearest hospital where he sadly passed away due to the severity of his injuries.

Investigators in Hillsborough County retrieved surveillance footage from a nearby street traffic camera and were able to determine that the SUV in question resembles an early model silver Ford Explorer or Mercury Mountaineer-style vehicle. Officers also indicated that there were two people within the suspected SUV at the time of the fatal crash – a male driver and a female passenger, both appearing to be middle-aged and wearing white tank tops.

If you have any information surrounding either of the two individuals or the SUV involved in this accident, you can submit your tips anonymously through the state’s toll-free Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS. If you would like to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office directly, please call 813-247-8200.

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.