Broward County authorities are still looking for answers in the December, 2014 hit and run death of 55-year-old Hurley McCrimmon of Ft. Lauderdale. Mr. McCrimmon and a friend were crossing the street at Northwest 19th Street and Northwest 14th Avenue when the hit and run accident occurred.
Ft. Lauderdale police recovered the blue, 2003 Ford pickup truck that was involved in the hit and run only hours after the accident. No charges have been brought as of yet against the owner of the vehicle. Investigators are confident that once an eyewitness comes forward they will have enough evidence to press charges.
Hit and run accidents are the most heinous of tragedies as the fleeing driver often leaves the victim lying on the side of the road to die rather than stopping and calling 911 and administering first aid. It is unknown how many fatalities can be avoided if the driver simply stops and calls 911, but even one is enough.
In 2015, over 19,000 were injured and 180 people died in Florida as a result of hit and run accidents. The Florida Highway Patrol has launched a campaign to educate drivers of their responsibilities if they are involved in a crash or hit a pedestrian. They are also made aware of the charges that they will face if they leave the scene, and how these charges will escalate if there is a death involved. If you are involved in a crash, Florida Law requires you to remain at the scene and offer help. Leaving the scene of the accident is a felony and you will lose your license for at least three years and possibly spend time in prison. The minimum mandatory sentence under certain conditions is 4 years in prison.
Listen to the full public service announcement on leaving the scene of a Florida motor vehicle accident at http://www.flhsmv.gov/audio/hitrunaudioenglish.mp3 . If you have information on a hit and run crash vehicle and/or driver, you can report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers.