FHP: Driver wanted in hit-and-run crash that killed Army veteran, wife
ORLANDO, Fla. - The family of an Army veteran and his wife who were killed in a hit-and-run crash are asking the public for help finding the driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) says 64-year-old David Roman and his wife, 57-year-old Minerva Barreto, were killed in a crash on July 11 on I-4 in Central Florida. Following an investigation, they just recently determined that it was caused by a hit-and-run driver.
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"The vehicle that struck the couple’s 2019 Toyota Corolla, fled the scene eastbound on I-4," FHP said.
The couple has 5 children.
"The fact that they didn’t call 911 could have been the difference between life or death," their son David said on Wednesday.
David Roman Barreto and his three sisters and brother are asking for the public’s help in finding the driver responsible for his parent's death.
FHP troopers are looking for a red vehicle that they believe side-swiped the couple, sending them out of control and into the path of a truck. Troopers say the red vehicle will have significant damage to its left side.
"Entered eastbound I-4 and sideswiped David Roman’s vehicle pushing them into the guardrail and then they bounced back into the roadway and that’s when they were struck by the pickup truck," FHP Lt. Kim Montes said on Wednesday.
FHP has requested all pictures of red cars from the toll booths. So far they have ruled out half of the 60 cars identified.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. You could be eligible for a $5,000 reward.
"If this was your family, you would want someone to do the right thing," FHP Lt. Montes said.
"They were great people," David said. "They loved us, they cared for us. They had a grandson on the way."
FHP is currently investigating 16 fatal hit and run crashes that have occurred in Central Florida this year. Leaving the scene of a fatal crash is a first-degree felony.
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