TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — A pedestrian who was struck in a hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning in Hillsborough County has died due to his injuries, the sheriff's office said in an updated news release.
Deputies say they have found the driver of the white Ford work van that was involved in the deadly incident in the 8000 block of Bay Ridge Court in Tampa.
The driver, who has been identified as a man, reportedly cooperated with authorities and claimed that he knew he hit something but thought it was an animal.
The crash happened just after 2:30 a.m. on West Waters Avenue in Town 'N' Country.
Deputies said the pedestrian was walking eastbound along the inside lane of West Waters Avenue between Royal Sand Circle and Hanley Road.
The person was then hit by the work van, according to a witness who said he narrowly missed hitting the pedestrian himself.
Surveillance video from nearby street cameras shows the van driver fleeing eastbound on West Waters Avenue after the crash, according to the sheriff's office. The van had front-end damage.
However, the driver said he returned to the place where he hit something but did not see anything, officials say.
"Detectives are following up with surveillance cameras in the area to confirm if this statement is accurate," the news release reads.
The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries but was later pronounced dead.
At the time of this writing, deputies say the driver is not facing any charges.
The investigation of the hit-and-run remains ongoing.