ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — St. Petersburg Police are searching for the driver who hit an elderly man in a wheelchair and didn't stop.
According to officials, the crash happened around 7:15 p.m. near the 2100 block of 5th Avenue North.
"This vehicle, all we know right now is that it is either white or light in color, and it just left him there, in his wheelchair, dying on the road," Yolanda Fernandez, a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg Police Department said. "By the time first responders got there, medical personnel, he died at the scene."
Police are asking if anyone has seen a white or light-colored vehicle with front-end damage, to please contact law enforcement. Police are also requesting any type of surveillance video that may be of use in the area and surrounding areas of the crash, in case the vehicle may have been captured on camera.
Marcelo Benedicto, who is 79 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say he was a Navy veteran and didn't live far from the site of the crash.
Marcelo Benedicto Sr., man in wheelchair killed in hit-and-run crash in St. Petersburg
Benedicto's son, Marcelo Benedicto Jr., said his father was a double amputee, due to advanced diabetes. He has also recently undergone chemotherapy treatment for stage 4 lung cancer.
"When I heard hit and run, it just floors you," Benedicto Jr. said. "[It] just flattens you. Because nobody should have to try to bear the 'why would somebody do that,' knowingly."
Benedicto Jr. said his father was his role model. With all the challenges his father overcame, he said it was an example of how you can use tough times to make you stronger and better.
"He did teach me the value of facing things with adversity and getting a character from it, instead of dwelling on the negative and sliding," Benedicto Jr. said.
While police were investigating, they blocked off 5th Avenue North in both directions from the I-275 ramp to 24th Street for hours.
This death is the 13th pedestrian death in St. Petersburg this year, according to St. Pete Police.
In total, there have been 35 total traffic fatalities in 2021. At this time last year, there were 7 pedestrian fatalities within the city of St. Petersburg.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.