Bradenton woman, 6-year-old boy seriously injured in hit-and-run crash. Troopers have a suspect

Florida Highway Patrol has identified an 87-year-old Port Charlotte man as the hit-and-run driver in an accident that left two people seriously injured in Manatee County on Wednesday morning.

Troopers said they located the man and his Ford SUV on Wednesday afternoon shortly after they sought the public’s help to identify him. They did not immediately release the suspect’s name.

The accident occurred around 9:48 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail and Westmoreland Drive in southern Manatee County.

The 87-year-old driver in the SUV was on northbound U.S. 41 in the left hand turn lane, according to troopers, when he made a left turn that violated the right-of-way of an oncoming Ford pickup truck traveling southbound.

The SUV struck the left side of the pickup truck, according to FHP, and the impact caused the truck to overturn and rotate several times before coming to a stop in an upright position.

The driver of the SUV left the scene before law enforcement or emergency aid arrived.

A 28-year-old Bradenton woman and a six-year-old boy who were passengers in the pickup truck sustained serious injuries, according to FHP, while a 57-year-old Bradenton man who was driving had only minor injuries.

Troopers say the Port Charlotte man and the vehicle involved in the accident were located on Wednesday afternoon. The suspect was arrested for leaving the scene of a traffic crash with serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony.

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 4:27 PM.