Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies hunt for a driver who struck a 39-year-old on a stand-up scooter at NE 49th St and N Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point; call 954-493-8477 with tips.
Miami Herald file
A 39-year-old man riding a stand-up scooter late Sunday in a Broward neighborhood was suddenly hit by a car, deputies say. The driver sped off and the man died. Three days later, authorities are still on the hunt for the man who killed him.
Around 9:25 p.m., the unidentified pedestrian crossed the intersection on his scooter at Northeast 49th Street and North Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point, a neighborhood near Pompano Beach, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
Simultaneously, Gustavo Mendez, of Boca Raton, was driving a gray Toyota Corolla toward the intersection and crashed into the 39-year-old, deputies said.
It’s unclear if Mendez had seen the man or who had the right of way. Authorities did not say if Mendez initially stopped to help, but he did speed away without waiting for first responders.
Lighthouse Point Fire Rescue took the pedestrian to Broward Health North Medical Center. He later died.
Mendez — and the car — are believed to be in Boca Raton, authorities said.
Lighthouse Point police have requested BSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit take over the case.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers 954-493-8477.
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Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.