SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A cook at a Southwest Miami-Dade restaurant was struck and killed while riding his bicycle home by a driver who fled the scene, police said.
According to Miami-Dade Police, the incident took place along Southwest 109th Place and 72nd Street, just before 2 a.m., Friday.
The impact was so loud that it woke up nearby residents.
“We were just about to go to bed, and I heard what sounded like a collision,” said Melissa Shenkman Diaz, who lives right next to the crash site.
Shenkman Diaz said her husband was outside smoking a cigarette when the tragedy took place.
“My husband was really shaken up, actually. He was downstairs. He went outside and saw that there was a body lying there,” she said.
Investigators said a newer model Mercedes-Benz was traveling westbound on Southwest 72nd Street when it hit the cyclist.
“How do you run?” Shenkman Diaz said.
Diaz said good Samaritans rushed to the victim’s aid.
“There were some people trying to slow traffic down because you couldn’t really see that there was somebody on the floor, so regular traffic was just going pretty fast,” Shenkman Diaz said.
First responders pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene.
Rick Compana, who works nearby, said the victim was in his mid-30s and worked as a cook at Don Burrito restaurant.
“That’s a shame that somebody would hit him and not stop to help him,” Compana said. “He was a good worker, very good worker, loved by everybody, funny guy, young, always working, always coming to work.”
The roadway was closed to traffic while crews combed the scene. It has since reopened.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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