St. Petersburg, FL (October 11, 2020) - A 58-year-old man from St. Petersburg was killed in a hit-and-run accident that took place on Friday, October 9th. The crash was first reported just after midnight and took place on 34th Street near the intersection with First Avenue.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, Allen Blanford Sowards was in the roadway on 34th Street when he was hit by a passing vehicle. The vehicle drove away after striking Sowards, leaving him lying in the road. Police and rescue crews arrived at the scene but were unable to save Sowards and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials are looking for the hit-and-run driver at this time. The vehicle is described as a Nissan Altima that may have damage as a result of the crash. 

Anyone with information on the accident is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780. There are no further details available. 

Hit-and-run collisions continue to cause major issues for accident victims in Florida. According to the most recent statistics, there were 105,000 hit-and-run accidents in Florida last year. This number makes up about 25% of all reported accidents. Many victims of hit-and-run crashes will be seriously hurt and even killed. Drivers who choose to flee the scene normally do so knowing that they have left behind a serious collision with injuries.

Our condolences go out to the family of Allen Sowards during this difficult time. 

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.