A 37-year-old man died early Thursday morning in a hit-and-run crash in the Hialeah area of South Florida. According to police, he was crossing Okeechobee Road northbound on a bicycle, having come from neighboring Miami Springs, when a black vehicle struck him and never stopped.
Investigators said the crash happened just minutes before 4 a.m. Hialeah police and fire crews responded to the scene, and the man was later pronounced dead from his injuries.
The victim's father, Kenneth Wimbley Sr., spoke only to CBS News Miami. He explained that his oldest son, who died in the crash, had the same name that he does, making the loss all the more painful to talk about.
Visibly distraught, the father said the driver had left his son on the road and that he did not deserve to be treated that way. He added that he does not even want to know who was responsible, saying that what he wants is justice for his son.
The father said his son had been working for Uber Eats and was riding his bike to a delivery order when he was hit. The young man was simply trying to do his job in the early morning hours when the crash took his life.
Hialeah public information officer Eddie Rodriguez said the man was struck by the black vehicle as he attempted to cross Okeechobee Road, and that the vehicle then fled the scene. Investigators described the intersection as busy and dangerous no matter the time of day.
Police later confirmed that an arrest had been made in the case. They said they have a 21-year-old man in custody, identified as Leonel Alejandro Laferte, who is now facing a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.