Tampa man charged in 2 hit-and-run crashes

TAMPA (FOX 13) - A Tampa man was arrested Friday, charged in two hit-and-run crashes including one that nearly killed a construction worker.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Edwin Rodriguez was driving drunk at a little before 1 a.m. when he barreled through a work zone near the intersection of N. Nebraska and Orange Avenues, hitting Geraldo Jaimes, 33, who was working there.

According to investigators, Rodriguez, 26, took off and drove about a mile before hitting an unoccupied SUV on Fowler Avenue.

As Tampa Police investigated the hit and run on Fowler, the received a call about domestic violence at a home on N. 14th Street, about another mile away. Responding officers saw the car believed to have been involved in both crashes parked nearby and arrested Rodrigruez.

Jaimes was taken to the hospital where he remained in critical condition Friday evening.

"Very egregious situation: [the driver was] driving down the road, crashes into the barricades and then crashes into the worker, then continues on his way," said FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins. "The driver here in this case did the absolute most wrong thing he could do which was leave that person there, leaving the scene of a crash, then having another crash in which he left that scene as well, leaving everyone here to pick up the pieces after his bad behavior."

Jaimes' family members told FOX 13 they were too emotional to discuss the crash. Rodriguez's family, meanwhile, said they are upset and sorry about what happened.