A rollover crash near Taft Street and 64th Avenue in Hollywood turned into a hit-and-run investigation early Tuesday morning after one of the two drivers vanished before fire rescue crews arrived. One vehicle slammed into a concrete utility pole around 5 a.m., and the driver who stayed behind suffered only minor injuries.
Hollywood Fire Rescue units responded to the scene near Taft Street and 64th Avenue, but the driver of the second vehicle involved was nowhere to be found by the time crews got there, fire rescue officials said, according to WSVN 7News. Officials are now investigating the crash as a hit-and-run, and it remains unclear what prompted the missing driver to leave before help arrived.
What Florida Law Says About Leaving the Scene
The stakes for the absent driver hinge largely on whether anyone's injuries can be tied directly to their vehicle. Under Florida Statute § 316.061, fleeing a crash that causes only property damage — such as a crash involving a utility pole — is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to Online Sunshine. If bodily injury is ultimately linked to the fleeing driver, Florida Statute § 316.027 provides that the offense can constitute a second- or third-degree felony, per the same statutory framework.
Florida law is unambiguous about what drivers owe each other after any crash. Florida Statute § 316.062 requires anyone involved in a wreck involving injury or property damage to stay put, exchange identifying information, show a driver's license if asked, and render reasonable aid to anyone hurt, according to Online Sunshine.
A Statewide Pattern Under Tougher Penalties
Florida has leaned harder on hit-and-run drivers since 2014, when the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act amended state law to impose tougher penalties and mandatory minimum prison sentences for those who flee crash scenes, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Even with that crackdown, the agency reports that nearly 25 percent of all traffic crashes statewide involve a driver who flees, amounting to more than 100,000 hit-and-run collisions across Florida in a single year. Data cited by FOX 13 Tampa Bay shows those incidents climbed 40 percent over the decade leading into 2025.
The Hollywood crash occurred in Broward County. Taft Street is identified in planning materials, per the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Recent History of Fleeing Drivers in Hollywood
Tuesday's crash is not an isolated case for the city. Hollywood saw a string of serious vehicle crashes earlier this year, including a February incident at Johnson Street and U.S. 1 where an SUV struck a bus stop, injured two people, and prompted the driver to attempt to flee, according to CBS News Miami.
Investigators are now asking the public for help identifying the driver who left the Taft Street crash. Anyone with information is asked to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS, and tipsters may remain anonymous while qualifying for a reward of up to $5,000. Crime Stoppers offers anonymous reporting options, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
