Driver charged in fatal Miami hit-and-run told cops he “panicked,” officials say
A 41-year-old man was arrested Friday after police said he struck and killed a pedestrian in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood and left the scene, according to police.
Fernando Abraham De Los Rios appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Saturday morning.
The judge granted him a $15,000 bond and found probable cause.
Crash occurred on NW 7th Street
Miami police said De Los Rios was driving a black 2018 Dodge Durango eastbound on NW 7th Street shortly before 6:30 a.m. when his vehicle hit a person crossing the road near NW 24th Avenue.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Miami Fire Rescue shortly before 7 a.m., police said.
Evidence linked vehicle to crash
Investigators said they found a fog lamp trim ring at the crash site that matched a Dodge Durango.
About 45 minutes later, officers reported seeing a damaged black Durango in the area. Police said De Los Rios admitted to being involved in the crash, adding that the victim was crossing in the dark and he panicked.
De Los Rios was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK), according to the report.
This report was produced by Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.
