Hit-and-runs involving pedestrians are on the rise in northeast Florida.
That’s according to new Florida Highway Patrol data obtained by Action News Jax.
The data showed troopers investigated 15 hit-and-runs involving pedestrians in 2018. Of those, four were deadly.
In 2017, 10 people were hit by vehicles that left the scene, and seven crashes resulted in fatalities.
Of the 11 deadly crashes in the last two years, investigators have not located the suspect or vehicle in seven crashes. That translates to roughly 64% of cases unsolved.
FHP Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan said hit-and-runs can sometimes be difficult to solve.
“When collisions occur, sometimes people make the decision to leave the scene, which really makes it a more complex investigation,” Bryan said.
Troopers rely on physical evidence at the scene, witness statements and digital evidence to help in the investigation.
Lidia Landis lost her daughter, 33-year-old Erica Milton, in a hit-and-run in November 2017 on Jacksonville’s Westside. To this day, the driver has not been caught.
“It’s been rough,” Landis said. “Hopefully one day, we will get that call that they found the person.”
She’s begging anyone with information to come forward.