Tragedy struck Bartow, Florida, when Edgardo Joel Rosado Perez, 41, allegedly hit and killed a high school student while fleeing the scene of a previous accident, according to the Florida Highway Patrol as reported by FOX 13. Witnesses said that after dropping his daughter off at Bartow High School on Wednesday morning, Perez was implicated in a minor collision and, in a panic, he sped away from the scene.
In what has been described as a second horrific act, Perez, driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Jackson Street near Pearl Street, struck Zachariah Mark Clabough, 18, who was on his way to the same school. The authorities claim Perez did not stop after hitting the teenager, he went home, switched into a blue 2017 Ford Fiesta in a seeming attempt to evade responsibility. Meanwhile, the initial 2018 Hyundai sedan involved in the incident was discovered at Perez's residence parked inside his garage. Later that day, deputies found Perez at the Brandon Mall, where he was arrested and now faces charges for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
The victim, Zachariah Clabough, was just months away from graduation and had plans for his imminent future as shared by his sister Jordan Howell in an interview obtained by Miami Herald, she disclosed Clabough worked at Arby's, diligently saving to buy his first car. "Zach has been through so much and was such a great soul," Howell stated, "He had his whole life ahead of him, and that was just ripped away from him." A candlelight vigil is planned for April 6 at the high school to honor his memory.
Adding to the family's heartbreak is the fact that just four years prior to this incident, Howell revealed to FOX 13 they suffered the loss of their father, William Mark Clabough, who also fell victim to a hit-and-run at a local gas station. In the wake of the tragedy, the family has also set up a GoFundMe to assist with expenses and, as the principal of Bartow High, Lance Lawson, described Clabough according to the Miami Herald, as a "quiet, hardworking student" whose presence "was looking forward to graduation" will be profoundly missed, this loss is a stark reminder to the community that "life is precious."
