2 deadly hit-and-run crashes a day apart in Lee County

Reporter: Jolena Esperto Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
The car FHP is looking for in the deadly hit-and-run in Lehigh Acres. CREDIT: FHP

The Florida Highway Patrol says the driver of a copper-colored Kia Sportage hit a bicyclist right after that person was hit by a motorcycle in Lehigh Acres, and the Sportage took off.

It was the second hit-and-run in Lee County within 24 hours. On Monday morning, troopers say a pickup truck hit a person on US-41, south of North Key Drive in North Fort Myers, leaving him for dead.

WINK News spoke with several neighbors in Lehigh Acres, who agree that road safety is an issue extending beyond Lehigh Acres to the whole state.

According to FHP, Florida averages 100,000 hit-and-runs a year.

“The tragedy is that everyone involved is someone’s son or someone’s daughter or a family member or neighbor, a co-worker, you know, they’re human beings. And it’s tragic,” Lt. Greg Bueno said.

Bueno said that troopers are hunting for two hit-and-run killers. One struck Sunday afternoon in Lehigh Acers, killing an 83-year-old man riding a bike. The other was in North Fort Myers on Monday morning when a 61-year-old man died after the crash.

“I would never walk or ride a bike and behind. It’s kind of terrifying just to drive,” Lehigh Acres resident Kevin Alindor said.

Alindor explained that he’s not comfortable driving where he’s lived for six years.

“People just have no remorse or other people live when driving. And it’s just better like a raceway, literally,” Alindor said.

“Stay on-scene. You may get a ticket if you’re at fault. You may have to go to court. You may have to fix your car. But my goodness, if you leave the scene, now you’re gonna go to jail,” Bueno said.

Fear may cause people to leave the scene of a crash. But Bueno explained that only makes matters worse.

“We have mistakes that happen every day. And it’s one thing if there’s a mistake made, everybody stays on scene, and we work through it,” Bueno said.

If you have any information on either of deadly hit-and-runs, call *FHP (*347) or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.

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