An early morning hit-and-run on M-59 in Rochester Hills ended in tragedy for a Florida woman who was fatally struck by an eastbound motorist, just west of South Livernois Road. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office disclosed to The Detroit News that the incident occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Friday. The woman, a 30-year-old from Lauderhill, Florida, was pronounced deceased on the scene.
The driver, yet to be publicly identified, initially fled the scene but later turned himself in to authorities. As reported by CBS Detroit, the 42-year-old Macomb man claimed he thought he had struck some debris on the road until news of the woman's death reached him. Alcohol and drug use by the driver did not appear to be a factor in the crash, according to the investigation.
The victim was embroiled in a police chase at the time of her demise, suspected of being part of a group involved in a series of vehicle larcenies. The Oakland Press detailed how detectives were attempting to apprehend the suspects in a parking lot when two men were captured following a foot chase. The slain woman, the third suspect, attempted to evade the police, resulting in her fatal attempt to cross the highway.
The investigation caused the closure of eastbound M-59 for nearly five hours as deputies worked the scene. Law enforcement is urging any witnesses of this fatal collision to come forward and contact the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Earlier in the week, another pedestrian-related incident on Walton Boulevard in Rochester Hills resulted in serious injury, highlighting a sudden spate of vehicular incidents involving pedestrians in the area.
