TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - Two sisters are making a painful plea after their father was left hospitalized by a hit-and-run driver.
The 67-year-old victim was heading to work on his bike when he was struck by a driver. Now his daughters hope the driver who fled the scene is caught.
Winston Copeland was left on the side of the road for approximately two hours.
“You need to right your wrong by coming forward. He’s a human being,” said Fulaine Smith, the victim’s daughter.
Copeland is now fighting for his life in the hospital.
“He’s heavily sedated, so he’s not …. you know,” said Smith, “he’s on a ventilator. He has tubes all over him. Yeah, it’s pretty bad. It’s not just broken bones. His lung was punctured.”
An avid cyclist, Copeland also had to have his arm amputated.
At around 4:43 a.m. on Aug. 6, Copeland was riding his bike along the 5700 block of West Commerical Boulevard in Tamarac when, authorities said, a driver hit him head-on.
The 67-year-old was headed to a nearby McDonald’s where he works.
“His bicycle was equipped with both a front and rear light, and in the footage you can see that the lights are active, so he was doing everything that he possibly could to be seen,” said Broward Sheriff’s Office detective Chandler Greetham.
A driver passing by called 911 at 6:55 a.m.
“He was left on the side of the street, and that is not OK,” said Smith. “People stop every day for animals.”
Detectives have released information on the vehicle the driver was in.
“A 2013 to 2019 silver Nissan Pathfinder SUV,” said Greetham. “It’s going to have damage to the front right area of the vehicle to include the headlight, the fog light, and again, the black piece is the actual fog light from the vehicle.”
Copeland’s daughters urge anyone who saw something to say something.
“We only have our father, so this is very hard for us,” said Shannon Copeland, the victim’s daughter.
“If you have any information at all, please call,” said Smith.
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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