2 die in hit-and-run crashes within 20 minutes on major road in Sarasota-Bradenton area
The Sarasota Police Department is investigating two deadly hit-and-run incidents that were separated by 20 minutes late Friday night.
The first one, occurring in downtown Sarasota, happened at about 11:30 p.m. A 56-year-old Sarasota man was hit by a vehicle, according to a police report, and died from the life-threatening injuries sustained after being transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
The hit-and-run crash happened near Fruitville Road and Orange Avenue, a police news release said.
Roughly 20 minutes after the first incident, a second one happened near Fruitville and Beneva Road. When officers responded to the scene, a 64-year-old Tennessee man was found dead. Witnesses at the scene told officers the victim was hit by a vehicle.
The names of both men that died are being withheld under Marsy’s Law, a Florida law redacting a victim’s name from public records.
There were no witnesses to the first hit-and-run incident. It is not known how the two men killed were traveling when the were struck by a vehicle.
Anyone who may have been in the area or has additional information or videos from either of these cases is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit at 941-263-6822 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com, according to the news release.
