Palmetto man killed after his bicycle was struck in hit-and-run crash

A Palmetto man was killed after his bicycle was struck by a vehicle along U.S. 41 in Manatee County on Saturday morning.

According to Florida Highway Patrol crash reports, Gary A. Kittel, 74, of Palmetto, was riding his bicycle southbound on the outside shoulder of U.S. 41 south of Buckeye Road around 9:30 a.m.

A 2015 Nissan Murano, driven by a 66-year-old Palmetto man, was traveling south in the outside lane of U.S. 41 and went into the shoulder of the road, according to FHP.

The right front corner and side of the Murano collided with the back of Kittel’s bicycle, sending both him and the bike onto the left shoulder, west of U.S. 41, according to FHP.

Kittel was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where he died.

The driver of the Murano left the scene of the crash and continued to drive south.

The driver and vehicle were later found by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Charges are pending, according to FHP. The driver did not report any injuries.

This story was originally published December 2, 2017 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Palmetto man killed after his bicycle was struck in hit-and-run crash."