A 66-year-old Gibsonton man is dead after being struck by a southbound vehicle while crossing U.S. 41 at Nundy Avenue Monday evening, and the driver who witnesses say paused briefly at the scene before speeding away remains unidentified. The crash was reported at 7:25 p.m. in Hillsborough County, and Florida Highway Patrol troopers are now asking the public for help tracking down the vehicle and its driver.
According to Tampa Free Press, witnesses told troopers the driver stopped briefly after hitting the man, then drove off. Investigators are looking for a black four-door sedan that may be a Toyota or Nissan, driven by a woman described as wearing a gray sweatshirt and black shorts. Authorities have not released the name of the man who was killed, identifying him only as a 66-year-old Gibsonton resident who was crossing the highway when he was hit.
Troopers Appeal for Tips on Vehicle and Driver
As troopers search for the driver, Florida Highway Patrol is leaning on the public to help close the gap. People with information about the crash, the vehicle, or the driver are asked to call *FHP (*347) or reach out to Crime Stoppers, per the same report. Investigators have shared details including the vehicle description and the driver's clothing at the time of the crash.
This is not the first fatal hit-and-run reported in Gibsonton. In December 2024, a motorcyclist died after a white sedan turning onto Symmes Road collided with his motorcycle and the driver left the scene, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. And a 56-year-old Ruskin man was struck and killed on U.S. Highway 41 near Gibsonton on a Saturday afternoon, as reported by Patch.
A Pattern of Fatal Hit-and-Runs Along the Corridor
The stretch of highway has seen other drivers flee after striking pedestrians. An SUV driver fled after hitting an 86-year-old Tampa man on U.S. 41, and the man later died, FHP told FOX 13 Tampa Bay, which reported troopers said the SUV never stopped to offer help. Further south, a pedestrian was killed crossing U.S. 41 at 60th Avenue West in Manatee County around 9:29 p.m. on October 9, according to mysuncoast.com.
Not every fleeing driver stays unidentified for long. In a separate Hillsborough County case, investigators said 82-year-old Francisco Lugo was walking with his walker in an intersection when he was struck by a northbound dark-colored Kia Sorento, per the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Detectives later identified Danielle Grant, 34, as the driver, and she turned herself in at the Orient Road Jail on July 30 after a warrant was issued charging her with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, the sheriff's office said.
For now, the driver in Monday's crash remains at large, and the man she is accused of striking has not been publicly identified. Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate and is urging anyone with information about the vehicle, the driver, or the crash itself to come forward.
