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Police arrested a man suspected of hitting and killing a motorist before stealing the victim's car to flee the scene.
Dhimitri Andoni, 22, of Clearwater, Florida, was traveling on I-275 near St. Petersburg around 9 pm. On Thursday, he stopped to help another driver who had apparently lost control of his vehicle, reported local channel WFLA.
A camera inside Andoni's car approached the unknown motorist, whose vehicle sat in the median of the highway after turning. The driver could quickly drive.
But while Andoni was returning to his vehicle along the shoulder, he was hit by a 1996 Ford F-150 pickup truck allegedly driven by 30-year-old Dana Byrd.
Andoni's dashcam shows Byrd stop and leave his car to check the age of 22. Seeing that he was already dead, Byrd stole Andoni's Hyundai car and fled the scene, going to the engineering sales company in St. Petersburg where he abandoned the vehicle. It is unclear whether he had a connection with the company.
Having not heard of his son for some time, Andoni's father followed his vehicle with the help of his GPS and located the car in St. Petersburg. He then contacted the police to report the disappearance of his son.
A ranger from the Florida Department of Transportation found Byrd's truck and Andoni's body Friday afternoon. The agents quickly followed Byrd to his home in St. Petersburg where he was arrested Friday night. He is accused of auto theft and leaving the scene of an accident involving death.
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The police did not suggest why Byrd had fled the scene or why he thought it was better to take the victim's car, leaving his own truck behind.
Officials told WFLA that the camera of Andoni's car was vital to the investigation of his death. They called on the unidentified motorist who stopped to help Andoni, asking them to contact the police to give them more information about the incident.
Byrd has already appeared before a judge. In a Saturday morning session, his bond was set at $ 100,000.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office database indicates that Byrd has been arrested by Pinellas County officers 16 times since 2005. Previous charges include impaired driving, retail theft,
According to Andoni's Facebook page, the young man studied at the University of Florida and worked for Wells Fargo.
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