Police: Hollywood Man On The Run After "Hit & Run"
HALLANDALE BEACH (CBSMiami) – A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Hollywood man accused of hitting two people in a Hallandale Beach restaurant's parking lot.
The trouble is that the police can't find 61-year old Vagiff Safarov to charge him with three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
According to investigators, Vagiff struck the two people with his SUV in the parking lot of Flannigans, located at N Federal Highway.
Efrain Lopez was hit and launched into the air due to the accident. The other person broke and arm.
"He ran over my head," Lopez said. "They say I flew ten feet in the air. He ran me over twice after that. And he ran over my hands and my legs and my back."
Detectives believe Safarov is aware that police are looking to arrest him so he's been actively avoiding them.
"We have obtained a warrant for his arrest on three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon," said Hallandale Police Chief Dwayne Flournoy.
They're asking that anyone who has seen Safarov or his yellow 2001 Suzuki Vitara (Florida Tag # 180 XYR) to give them a call at (954) 457-1438 or (954) 457-1400.
Efrain was in the hospital for nearly a week and was in critical care for days and said he still doesn't know what could have possessed Safarov to hit him.
"Maybe he was on drugs or maybe he thought I was someone he was looking for," Lopez said.
