Police looking for driver who killed St. Pete pedestrian
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Police in St. Petersburg are looking for the driver who killed a pedestrian Sunday night, and then kept going.
Hollis Heatherly, 58, was in a crosswalk at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and 16th Street North around 9:30 Sunday night when the driver of a black vehicle hit and killed him, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The driver sped off and Heatherly was pronounced dead at the scene.
It's unsettling news for people who frequently walk and ride their bikes in the area.
"I ride around here to the gym at least three to four days a week and I'm around here driving and riding my bike because I live here and I love being downtown, so a little nerve-racking," said Justin Tuggle, who lives nearby.
Police are still figuring out what lead up to the hit-and-run, but Tuggle says he notices a specific issue that happens repeatedly in the intersection.
"I would say the right-hand turn lanes, these guys don't stop. It's like, 'Oh I see it's red,' they're looking left already, not paying attention to people crossing. I don't know if you saw me here but, same thing, a guy was parked right here in the crosswalk for me to go by, so every day, people turning right… you got to watch out for," Tuggle said.
Police say the black vehicle that hit and killed Heatherly has damage. Anyone with information about the driver or the crash is asked to call the St. Petersburg Police Department.