A man was left with multiple serious injuries early Saturday after a driver struck him on North State Road 7 in Lauderhill and fled the scene without stopping. Police say the crash happened around 12:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of the roadway, and the driver's vehicle has not been identified.
According to CBS News Miami, the Lauderhill Police Department said a man was seriously hurt by a vehicle in an apparent hit-and-run overnight. Responding officers found him suffering from multiple injuries and took him to a nearby hospital, the outlet reported. As of publication, CBS News Miami reported he was in critical but stable condition, though WSVN reported separately that the man was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition.
Driver Fled Without a Trace
Police said the driver reportedly left the scene in an unknown direction of travel, and it's also not yet known what kind of vehicle was involved, per the same report. No details about the man's identity, age, or where he lives have been released.
At the scene, WSVN's cameras captured investigators gathering bags of evidence as police vehicles lined the block, the station noted. The debris left behind underscored the violence of the collision even as the basic facts of what happened remained unclear hours later.
Investigation Still Open
The investigation remains ongoing, and Lauderhill police said new information could prompt updates later on, according to the CBS News Miami report. No suspect has been identified, and no arrests or charges have been announced in connection with the crash.
This is not the first time Lauderhill has grappled with a driver fleeing after hitting someone on the road. In February, investigators believed another vehicle struck and killed a motorcycle rider in the 3900 block of West Sunrise Boulevard before driving off, according to NBC Miami. That rider was found dead at the scene, and his identity was never released, the station reported.
What Florida Law Requires of Drivers
Under Florida law, a driver involved in a crash causing serious bodily injury must immediately stop at the scene and remain there until fulfilling the state's legal requirements, according to Florida Statute 316.027. The statute defines serious bodily injury as a physical condition creating a substantial risk of death, serious disfigurement, or prolonged loss or impairment of a bodily function.
Willfully leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury is classified as a second-degree felony under the statute, and a conviction carries a mandatory driver's license revocation of at least three years. It remains unknown whether investigators have determined the direction the driver traveled after leaving the North State Road 7 scene.
