Crime & Safety
Arrest Made In Fatal July Hit-And-Run Crash In FL
A 19-year-old woman was killed in a July 4 hit-and-run crash in Riverview, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
RIVERVIEW, FL — A man was arrested in a fatal hit-and-run crash on July 4 in Riverview, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The agency received a 911 call reporting a traffic crash near Providence Road and Bloomingdale Avenue just before 5 a.m.
Deputies found a 19-year-old woman who was driving one of the vehicles involved in the crash dead at the scene, HCSO said.
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The driver of the second vehicle involved ran from the scene on foot before law enforcement arrived, the sheriff’s office said.
Preliminary investigative findings and witness statements indicate that the victim was driving on Providence Road when she was hit by another vehicle on Bloomingdale Avenue that was speeding as it ran a red light.
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Detectives were able to identify the driver who left the scene as Roberto Carlos Meza Rosales, 21, the sheriff’s office said.
When detectives found him within hours of the crash, he admitted to fleeing the scene. Meza Rosales showed signs of impairment and alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in the incident, the agency said.
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Meza Rosales, a Honduran national residing in Hillsborough County, entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2018, investigators said. HCSO is coordinating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding his immigration status.
He faces a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death.
“This is an absolute tragedy that should have never happened,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “On a day that should have been filled with celebration and time spent with loved ones, a family is now grappling with unimaginable loss. My thoughts are with them as they face this painful road ahead."
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