Michael Powell of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver as he was crossing West Broward Boulevard on February 3.
According to the police report, Powell, 67, was crossing from north to south on West Broward Boulevard just before 6 a.m. on Friday when he was hit by a dark blue BMW sedan. The sedan was traveling west in the 1400 block of the boulevard when the incident happened. The driver drove off and failed to stop to seek help for the injured man.
Police from the Sunrise Police Department located the BMW two hours later in the 2500 block of NW 89th Avenue in Sunrise. Fort Lauderdale police reportedly took custody of the vehicle and located the two people who were in it at the time of the crash. The names of the occupants have not been yet been released.
The cause of the crash is still unclear, but investigators are reportedly exploring the possibility of alcohol or other substances playing a role.
Statistics from the Florida Highway Patrol show that the number of hit-and-run crashes in Florida has remained steady over the years. In 2015, over 92,000 hit-and-run crashes were reported. The majority (more than 80 percent) usually only result in property damage, but more than 180 people were killed in such crashes in 2015.
The law requires a driver involved in a crash to stop. Leaving the scene makes the situation worse. A hit-and-run charge is a felony and if it results in a death, the responsible driver can face a minimum sentence of four years in prison.
Another fatal hit-and-run crash was reported in Davie on February 1. It led to the death of Emma Kelsoe and her dog, Rondo, and injured Victoria McCall. The crash took place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night east of South Pine Island Road and south of State Road 84.
Kelsoe and McCall, who were neighbors, were walking Kelsoe’s dog on a bike lane when a driver veered off the road on SW 18th Street and struck them. Kelsoe reportedly pushed her neighbor out of the way before she was struck.
The crash killed Kelsoe and her dog, and left McCall unconscious. Fire rescue workers rushed McCall to Broward Health Medical Center where she treated for a minor spinal injury and was discharged a few hours later.
The vehicle never stopped. Witnesses told investigators that the driver looked like a man in his 50s with a female passenger. Surveillance video captured from Kelsoe’s home, which is just two doors down the road, shows a dark sedan driving with two people inside. Investigators are still searching for the driver responsible for the crash.
Source: 2.4.17 Powell Hit-and-Run Crash.pdf & Hit and Run – Bad to Worse.pdf