BARTOW, Fla. — An 18-year-old high school student was hit and killed by a vehicle Wednesday morning by a driver who fled the scene of a separate crash, according to authorities.
The 41-year-old suspect in the case was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said it happened at about 7:15 a.m. A 2018 Hyundai sedan was involved in what FHP called a minor crash, and the driver left the scene. While driving northbound on Jackson Street at Pearl Street, the vehicle hit the high school student, who died from his injuries. The teen was walking to school, according to FHP.
“It was a large impact. Something large and solid hit something,” witness Taylor Smith said of the vehicle hitting the teen.
“I knew it was serious, I knew it was bad. But I didn’t think that it was a hit-and-run of a pedestrian.”
Flowers had been placed at the scene by Wednesday afternoon.
“Frankly, this wasn’t even on my radar as a possibility. I was born and raised here and I’ve been in this neighborhood for 37 years and never have we ever had something like this happen,” Smith said.
Authorities later found the Hyundai sedan at the driver’s garage, investigators said.
The Ford Fiesta was found at the Brandon Mall, and the driver was found inside the shopping center.
Edgardo Joel Rosado Perez, 41, was arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal crash, FHP said. He was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail.
Anyone with further information is asked to call *FHP (*347).
Spectrum News Staff
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