'The Guy Had No Chance', Security Cameras Capture Deadly Fort Lauderdale Hit & Run
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - An investigation is underway after a pedestrian crossing a Fort Lauderdale street was struck and killed early Thursday morning.
It happened around 2:20 a.m. at 1000 W Sunrise Boulevard.
Benny Marrero, who owns Broadway Auto Repairs, said surveillance cameras outside his shop captured the accident. A man with an umbrella is seen crossing the street. Just as he neared the other side, he was struck from behind by a dark-colored vehicle that just kept going. On impact, the man flew through the air and landed about 100 feet from where he was struck.
Police have identified the man who died as 53-year-old Wilfredo Barberan-Santiago.
Marrero said he learned about the fatal hit and run when one of his drivers called him and said police were asking about the security cameras. Marrero said when he played back the video, he saw the man getting hit.
"The person who hit him had no regard for the person that they hit, they just kept driving, never stopped, like they didn't care," said Marrero.
Marrero said there were three cameras out front and one clearly showed what happened.
"On that one, you can see the guy crossing the street and got hit. The guy had no chance. The person just kept driving, it made no sense," he said.
Marrero said he was taken aback after he saw what happened.
"You know you see it on TV and you don't think that you're going to see it on your own cameras, but for me, it was shocking to see that the person didn't even make an attempt to stop to see if the person was fine. They just kept going," he said.
Marrero said he's seen his fair share of cars and trucks and the police should be looking for a specific type of vehicle.
"From what I could see from the camera it looks like it's a Jeep, either a Renegade or a Liberty, or even a Ford Escape because of that body style, it's a four-door vehicle, it's a little SUV, so it is one of those brands. It's black SUV," he said.
Police would only say that they are looking for an SUV, possibly gray or light blue in color.
Marrero said the vehicle that hit Barberan-Santiago appeared to be speeding.
"This (Sunrise Blvd.) is a 35 mph speed limit and they were doing at least 50 to 60 miles per hour," he said.
Marrero added that this wasn't the first time he's given police his video for this stretch of road.
"When people are crossing the street and not paying attention they don't cross at the crosswalks, unfortunately, they're at the mercy of people driving by," he said.