Charlotte County, FL (February 7, 2021) - The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash in Charlotte County on Friday night. The collision took place on State Road 31 near Bermont Road at approximately 6:15 p.m.

Troopers say that a Lincoln SUV was traveling northbound on S.R. 31 when the driver moved into the southbound lanes to pass traffic in front of him. The SUV nearly collided head-on with a southbound vehicle. The southbound vehicle swerved to avoid a crash but the 52-year-old driver lost control of his car and struck a third vehicle instead. The 52-year-old driver was rushed to Bayfront Hospital where he died from his injuries. The driver of the third vehicle, a 61-year-old man from Orlando, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment. 

The Lincoln driver left the scene of the crash and has not been located at this time. The accident remains under investigation and no additional details are available.

Hit-and-run crashes in Florida account for about 25% of all reported crashes in our state. This number may seem high but it reflects the reality of Florida's roadways. Each year, about 400,000 car accidents are reported and more than 100,000 of those crashes are due to hit and run drivers. 

Our condolences are with the victim's family following this fatal hit-and-run accident in Charlotte County. 

Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals & families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases of personal injury relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the injury and tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.

Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see any information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene.