Police are searching for the driver of a car that struck and killed a man early Saturday in Hollywood.
Hollywood police said that the alleged victim, a 46-year old Hollywood man, was crossing North Ocean Drive at Indiana Street about 2:45 a.m. when a car driving south hit him.
The driver did not stop at the scene, police said.
LSA (leaving the scene of an accident) involving death is a first-degree felony punishable by a maximum of 30 years in state prison.
In order to arrest a suspect, the police must have a description of the make and model of the car, which in and of itself is not even enough. They should also have a tag number, or at least a partial tag number.
When police find a vehicle matching the description, they may seek to talk to the owner of the car. Remember - you do not have to talk to police if you do not want to. It is best to contact a criminal defense attorney if the police want to speak with you about a pending LSA investigation. What you say to police could seriously hurt you.
Police may also obtain a search warrant to inspect your car. You cannot resist this. A search warrant is a court order that permits police to search a certain item or location. Your attorney may be able to fight the sufficiency of the warrant later, but when the cops come knocking with a search warrant in hand, you'd better just relax and let them be or else you may may additional charges.
A search warrant may permit the officers to inspect the exterior of the car for damage consistent with an accident, blood, or paint transfer. They may also seek to take paint samples from the car.
Police may also look for surveillance video, such as red-light camera footage, in order to view the accident.
The point is, due to the large amount of hit and runs in Miami-Dade County, the cops are very well prepared to take on an investigation. And given the bad press that Miami-Dade County drivers get, you'd better believe that police agencies are taking LSAs seriously, and will do just about anything to catch suspected offenders.