FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Fort Pierce police are searching for a driver who they say hit and killed a man riding a scooter before fleeing the scene, crashing into a salon and running away on foot Sunday night.
The deadly crash happened shortly before 9 p.m. on October 11 along Okeechobee Road, just west of South 25th Street.
According to Major Michael Santiago with the Fort Pierce Police Department, a man riding a scooter was stopped at a red light behind a Toyota pickup truck when a white van traveling eastbound failed to stop and struck him from behind.
“That in turn led to a domino effect where the motorcyclist was ejected from the scooter itself and was thrown into the vehicle in front of the scooter,” Santiago said.
St. Lucie County Fire District officials said crews were dispatched at 8:51 p.m. and arrived four minutes later. The scooter rider was pronounced dead at the scene. No other patients were transported.
But investigators say the van driver did not remain at the scene.
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Instead, Santiago said the driver reversed, made a U-turn, briefly traveled westbound in the eastbound lanes of Okeechobee Road, crossed the median and lost control before crashing into Kings & Queens Unisex Salon.
“After he crashed into the business, he fled on foot,” Santiago said.
Police immediately established a perimeter and searched for the driver using K-9 units and assistance from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office aviation unit, but were unable to locate him.
By Monday afternoon, the van had been removed, but significant damage remained. Broken concrete and debris were piled outside the entrance, which was boarded up and surrounded by caution tape.
Salon owner Sheila Hampton said she received a phone call about the crash and arrived to find extensive damage to her business.
“They just called me at the last minute and I just seen a hole in my wall. That’s it,” Hampton said.
Hampton said she was unable to open the salon Monday and was concerned about when she would be allowed to resume business.
“I’m still numb from it. And I’m just hoping tomorrow will be a better day,” she said.
Despite the damage to her business, Hampton also expressed sympathy for the family of the man who died.
“My condolences from King and Queen Salon. We give out our condolences to the family,” she said. “This shouldn’t have ever happened.”
Police searching for driver
Santiago said witnesses described the driver as a Hispanic man wearing a dark top and light-colored pants or shorts.
Investigators believe he may have been injured in the crash, based on evidence recovered at the scene.
Police have recovered the van and identified its registered owner, but have not confirmed who was driving.
Santiago said the registered owner lives approximately one to one-and-a-half miles from the crash scene. He also said the owner stopped communicating with investigators after officers began asking who had access to the vehicle.
Police have not ruled anyone out as they continue pursuing leads.
Investigators are also searching for surveillance footage that could help identify the driver. As of Monday afternoon, Santiago said they had not obtained video showing the suspect himself.
“We are desperately needing the public’s help in identifying who was behind the wheel of this box van,” Santiago said.
He urged anyone who saw the white van in the area Sunday night, recognized someone who may have been driving it or captured video of the incident to come forward.
The victim’s identity has not been released as police work through the family notification process.
No arrest had been announced as of Monday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fort Pierce Police Department.