BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A 47-year-old Melbourne man in a wheelchair was struck and killed late Thursday in a hit-and-run crash on U.S. 1 in Brevard County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The fatal wreck happened around 10:25 p.m. on U.S. 1 south near Canaveral Groves Boulevard.
The FHP said the man in the wheelchair near the shoulder of U.S. 1 when he was fatally struck by an SUV, believed to be a 2013-17 Buick Enclave.
“It’s horrible and this intersection is bad. We’ve seen multiple car accidents. Multiple people get hit all the time up here,” said Wanda Dunn, who lives near the crash scene. “... People just don’t pay attention, the drivers or the pedestrians.”
The SUV took off after the crash, fleeing south on U.S. 1, troopers said.
“For someone to run off after hitting someone who is disabled in a wheel chair. That’s horrible, something needs to be done out here,” Dunn said.
She told News 6 some of the nearby sidewalks just end, forcing people into the grass.
“When you ride down these roads, you’re taking your life in your hands,” said Mike Briggs, who rides his bicycle along US-1.
The color of the vehicle is not known, but it should have damage to its front right and is missing the right fog lamp molding, according to the FHP. Troopers said a piece of a vehicle was found that could be related to the crash.
Anyone with any information about the crash is urged to call the Florida Highway Patrol at 407-737-2200 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
An investigation is ongoing.