Driver Struck, Killed By Truck After Crash
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – An investigation is underway after a man was killed in an early morning accident in Tamarac.
Early Sunday morning the driver of a Nissan truck, 58-year old John Jenkins from Villa Rica, Georgia was involved in a collision with a Chevy Avalanche on Commercial Boulevard at the entrance to the Turnpike.
"Initially what happened was that there was a truck coming through the intersection, another vehicle turned in front of that truck, we do not know at this point who had the right of way, they collided," said sheriff's spokeswoman Dani Moschella.
After the crash, Jenkins then got out to inspect the damage, leaving his wife and teenage son in the cab.
"He gets out of his truck, is looking at his truck, it's dark out, it's 5:20 a.m., another vehicle, a red Dodge truck is coming through the intersection on a green light, does not see him standing in the road and hits him," said Moschella.
Just before Jenkins was struck, Moschella said the Avalanche took off.
Tamarac Fire Rescue firefighters heard the crash from their station on the adjacent corner. They ran to the scene to help Jenkins. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The sheriff's office said the driver of the Dodge, 32-year-old Jerson R. Paul of Tamarac, did stop and stayed on the scene.
Just after 1:30 p.m. the Avalanche was found partially concealed in a parking spot at a Pompano Beach apartment building. The airbags had been deployed.
Residents say they didn't recognize the vehicle but they immediately noticed the damage.
"The front end was all smashed in the side was smashed in he hit somebody you could tell it was bad," said Greg Wojciechowski.
"I saw it, it was horrible. It's like the front end was all smashed," said Emily Simeone.
Antoine Eugene said he doesn't know anything about the accident, but after he got home from church on Sunday, he said his son came over to his Pompano Beach apartment.
Eugene said his son asked to park the Avalanche in the lot for a couple of hours until someone could come get it.
"He he say somebody come and pick up car ," said Eugene.
Before anyone could pick it up sheriff's deputies arrived to tow the damaged vehicle away.
Eugene said the car belongs to one of his son's friends and he says his son told him there was an accident last week.
"He tell me accident Friday," said Eugene.
"He told you the accident was Friday?," asked CBS4's Maggie Newland. "Yeah, that's what he tell me. I don't know true," replied Eugene.
"Did your son know who was driving the car this morning?," asked Newland.
"I don't know," replied Eugene.
"Was your son driving the car this morning?," asked Newland.
"I tell you I don't know," said Eugene.
Investigators said they don't know who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, but they do want to talk to the driver .
"We know that he's not responsible for that fatality. We don't even know if he's responsible for the initial crash that he was involved in, but traffic homicide investigators need to speak to him," said Moschella.
If you have any information or know who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, call Broward County Crimetoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
