The Florida Highway Patrol is looking for an unidentified driver after a hit-and-run crash killed a pedestrian on San Carlos Boulevard in Lee County on Wednesday night.
The unknown driver’s vehicle, shown by surveillance video to be a white or light-colored sedan, probably with front-end damage, was traveling south on San Carlos Boulevard in the area of Siesta Drive around 7:15 p.m., in front of another sedan driven by a 58-year-old Fort Myers woman. A 55-year-old woman from Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, was walking home with her sister from Fort Myers Beach when she crossed the San Carlos Boulevard travel lanes when the first vehicle hit her and drove away.
The second car swerved to avoid the woman but also struck her. The woman hit was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Channel 3 in Madison, Wisconson, the woman who died is Mary Reed from Cottage Grove, Wisconson.
“No one deserves that this is a tourist area this is where people come to have their vacation to like, live the dream and that is not what’s happening in cases like this. Honestly, we almost got hit because we ran out into the road as well to try and help her and she was on the other side so I don’t know it’s tragic it’s awful I want it to stop. I want this to never happen again,” said Caroline Rusher, who witnessed the crash.
Rusher didn’t know the woman, but she is sad and angry. Angry that the car captured on video moments before the accident hit the woman and kept driving towards the beach. Sad because crashes keep happening on this stretch of San Carlos Boulevard. “This corner has the nickname of deadman’s curve for a reason,” said Rusher.
Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Greg Bueno has worked countless hit and runs, and his message is always the same; don’t leave, “because here’s what’s going to happen now. You got to look over your shoulder. Because there’s a lot of us with the Florida Highway Patrol,” said Bueno.
The crash remains under investigation. Lt. Bueno said if you know someone with a white car who didn’t come to work today or typically parks outside and now have the car in the garage, call FHP at (239) 344-1730 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477. Any tip can help them find out who did this.
This white or light colored sedan struck a pedestrian on San Carlos Boulevard last night, around 7:15pm. Last seen driving toward Fort Myers Beach. The pedestrian died on scene‼️Any TIPS? call 1-800-780-TIPS @SWFLCrime8477 pic.twitter.com/Hlyq2niSgH
— FHP SWFL (@FHPSWFL) March 10, 2022