NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Authorities hope a critical clue caught on surveillance video will help solve a hit-and-run case near Fort Lauderdale that sent a man to the hospital with multiple bone fractures.
At the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Thursday, family members of the 45-year-old victim, Jose Antonio Juarez-Vargas, pleaded for help from the public to find the driver who struck him.
“My family is here struggling, trying to figure out how you could do something like that and be so careless,” said Kassandra Machado, the victim’s niece.
At around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, Juarez was walking home from work along State Road 7, just south of Davie Boulevard when he was struck by a silver Range Rover.
“The driver never attempted to stop or render any kind of aid to the gentleman he had just struck,” said BSO detective Chandler Greetham.
Instead, investigators said, the driver kept going.
Surveillance cameras captured the Range Rover turning off U.S. 441 and fleeing the area.
Deputies said the driver left behind a mounting bracket at the scene. This is how they were able to identify the SUV.
Juarez-Vargas was left with a broken pelvis, broken ribs and broken legs. He has been in the hospital ever since.
“He kind of just remembers getting hit and then waking up at the hospital,” said Machado.
Machado also had a message for the driver involved.
“How can you sleep at night? There’s somebody else in a hospital bed that’s fighting for his life,” she said, “while you’re sitting, dreaming about your future and your plans that you have for your family.”
Authorities said they are looking for a 2014 to 2017 Range Rover with front-end damage near the driver’s side.
Family members of the victim have since set up a GoFundMe. If you would like to help, click here.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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