ST. PETERSBURG — Police are asking the public to help identify a dark-colored Mercedes SUV after a hit-and-run early Sunday killed a 65-year-old Pinellas Park motorcyclist at 4th Street North and 9th Avenue North.
The St. Petersburg Police Department said the crash happened shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday. The victim was riding a black Suzuki motorcycle south on 4th Street North when a Mercedes SUV traveling north turned west onto 9th Avenue North in front of him, causing the collision, investigators said.
The SUV did not stop. Police said it fled west on 9th Avenue North. Paramedics took the motorcyclist to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital St. Petersburg, where he later died from his injuries. His name has not been released.
Surveillance video and damage clues
On Monday, SPPD released nearby surveillance video of the suspect vehicle and said the Mercedes has significant damage to the front right side. Investigators said whoever was behind the wheel faces a first-degree felony for leaving the scene.
FOX 13 and Tampa Free Press reported the same core timeline from police, with FOX 13 airing the department’s video appeal for tips.
Lt. Jason Levey stressed that staying after a crash — even if a driver is impaired — carries a lower penalty than fleeing.
“If you get involved in a crash, whether it’s property damage or injury, stay,” Levey told FOX 13. “Even if you’re impaired or under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, the penalty is higher if you leave the scene of a hit-and-run crash as opposed to a DUI manslaughter.”
What police still need
Authorities have not released a license plate or a fuller description of the Mercedes beyond the dark color, the video and the front-right damage. The victim’s identity also remains withheld.
Levey said dash cams, business cameras and bystander video often break cases like this open.
“There are cameras everywhere, whether cameras on businesses, cameras on vehicles, everybody has in-car dash cams now. It’s not just the police,” he said. “There’s someone out there that saw something that didn’t seem right. Please give us a call because the victim’s family deserves the right to know what happened.”
Anyone who recognizes the SUV, has dash-cam or doorbell video from the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, or has other information is asked to call St. Petersburg police at 727-893-9970. The investigation remains open.