Fort Lauderdale police search for driver involved in fatal traffic incident

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is seeking information on a driver involved in a fatal overnight traffic incident on Sunday.

At about 2 a.m. Oct. 27 in the 100 block of Northwest First Street, a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler was parked when a man lay in front of it, according to police.

When three individuals returned to the vehicle and the driver attempted to exit the parking spot, the Jeep drove over the pedestrian. It remains unclear if the driver was aware of the pedestrian’s presence, according to police.

Hours later, at about 6:25 a.m., a passerby discovered the pedestrian unresponsive and called 911. The victim, identified as a 72-year-old man, Esperant Lahens, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are urging anyone with information about the incident or the vehicle to contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Russell Brown at 954-828-5754 or reach out to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 11:49 AM.