ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man is accused of hitting and killing a woman on a busy road and taking off.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Troopers said the victim was out of her SUV that was stopped on Curry Ford Road, when she was struck by the box truck on Tuesday afternoon.
“The front right of the box truck struck the woman and the vehicle, knocking the vehicle out of the roadway onto the grass closer towards the lake,” said Lt. Kim Montes.
A good Samaritan chased after the box truck driver, whom troopers later identified as Miguel Valero Gonzalez.
READ: FHP: Good Samaritan helps track down box truck involved in fatal hit-and-run crash
Valero Gonzales was pulled over at a gas station several miles away. Troopers said Valero Gonzales admitted to driving the truck at the time of the crash, and that his license was suspended. Investigators also said he told them he’d smoked marijuana earlier in the day.
He is charged with failure to remain at a crash involving death.
The Florida Highway Patrol is crediting the good Samaritan with helping solve the case quickly.
READ: Operation ‘April Fools’ ends in arrest of 19 men seeking sex with children, deputies say
“He took the chance to get us the information — the tag number, where the vehicle was going — so law enforcement could get to that vehicle, stop and get it stopped. And again, we want to thank him for his bravery and now we will be able to give some kind of closure to this family,” Montes said.
READ: ‘Grab anything light and get out of here’: Residents evacuated from condemned Miami condo
Valero Gonzalez was expected to make his first court appearance at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.