NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The family of a man who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver is seeking closure as police search for the driver behind the wheel.
Police handed out flyers in the community, Wednesday, in an effort to locate the hit-and-run driver who killed 51-year-old Fritznel Auguste.
“He’s the only person I had. All I had was my dad,” said Auguste’s son, Fritznoe Auguste. “I just want justice for him.”
Surveillance video showed the scene as the 51-year-old crossed the street Sunday night, and that’s when he was hit by a driver in a white Toyota RAV4. The driver fled the scene along Northwest Seventh Avenue, near 103rd Street, and left Auguste behind.
“When they kill an animal, like a dog, people always look back – to kill a poor man like this on the street and then you don’t even look back, you just keep going,” said relative Angelet Gavin.
Auguste’s family said he didn’t have a car and lived just a block from the area where he was hit.
A witness in the area, rushed to find Auguste suffering in the street.
“I heard something, and I looked and I saw a white car speeding,” said a witness. “When I saw it fly up in the air, I thought, ‘Oh, somebody’s bumper fell off their car.’ After a second, I realized it wasn’t a bumper — it was a person.”
Another surveillance video showed the white Toyota as it slowed down after the collision before speeding up again.
It also showed a second car as it hit Auguste, but according to witnesses, that driver remained on the scene.
Auguste was later pronounced dead at the Ryder Trauma Center.
“I got a call about 9:30 p.m. from my aunt, and I had to go to the hospital,” said Fritznoe. “It’s very sad. That’s a human being.”
Those who knew the victim said they hope their pain and prayers will push the person responsible to step forward. “I pray for his family,” said witness Barry Sanders. “I hope whoever did it, turn yourself in.”
Fritznoe said he saw his father for the last time Sunday morning and has a message for the driver who left Auguste to die.
“I pray for you, that’s all I can say,” said Fritznoe.
“We will forgive them regardless, but they need to come forward,” said family member Angelet Davin. “At least let somebody know that you did it, you take responsibility and then we go forward.”
If you have any information on this fatal 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 $3,000 reward.
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