Fort Lauderdale police said it appears as though 40-year-old Joseph Czaplinski fell off the skateboard and into the road before being hit by a vehicle.
CBS News Miami
A skateboarder who recently moved to South Florida was killed in Fort Lauderdale early Tuesday morning after police said he fell into the road and was hit by a vehicle.
Police told CBS News Miami that they received 911 calls just after 3:30 a.m. reporting that someone was lying on the ground in the area of Sunrise Boulevard and Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard (A1A).
When officers arrived, they said they found a man’s body in the roadway near a skateboard.
Fort Lauderdale police said that, according to the preliminary investigation, it appears as though the victim, who was identified as 40-year-old Joseph Czaplinski, fell off the skateboard into the middle of the road, and he was hit by a vehicle moments later.
Police said they are still looking for the vehicle that was involved, and it’s still unknown if this incident will be classified as a hit-and-run.
A friend of Czaplinski told CBS News Miami that she worked with him and he just moved to the area from Maryland.
“He leaves behind a 17-year-old child now,” she said. “Whoever left him just needs to come forward and do the right thing because there are a lot of people who loved him.”
Julie Olszewski, operator of Con Murphy’s and McSorley’s Beach Pub, says Czaplinski worked as a bartender at the pub.
“Every customer loved him, he was new to the team, but he made a big impact right away, and we’re just really heartbroken over this,” Olszewski said.
A witness told CBS News Miami that the intersection is dangerous, and he has seen other accidents in the area. He said he hopes the driver comes forward.
“I have no words,” Alex Johnson said. “They’re going to get you. They’ll find you. Turn yourself in.”
This report was produced by Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.