Troopers Looking For Hit-and-Run Driver After He Kills a Good Samaritan on I-275 in St. Petersburg Then Flees in Victims Car
Update 8 p.m.:
FHP Troopers located Dana Byrd at his home located at 3201 51ST STREET NORTH, ST. PETERSBURG FL 33710 and arrested Byrd for Grand Theft-Auto and Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving a Death. Further, Troopers request the operator of the vehicle which lost control in the median to please contact the FHP as soon as possible to retrieve additional information regarding the incident.
Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are investigating a fatal hit and run crash that killed 22 year-old Dhimitri Androni of Clearwater.
On Thursday, September 20, 2018, at 9:08 PM, Andoni was traveling northbound on I-275 near the 23 milepost in a 2015 Hyundai 4-door vehicle. Andoni observed another motorist who had lost control and rotated to final rest in the median of I-275. Andoni stopped along the inside shoulder of I-275 to render assistance to the other unknown motorist. Shortly after stopping, the motorist was able to depart the scene and Andoni walked back to his vehicle.
While walking back to his vehicle along the right side of the car and the roadway edge, Andoni was struck by a passing vehicle, identified as a 1996 Ford F-150 and operated by 30 year-old Dana Thomas Byrd. Byrd stopped along the shoulder, approached Andoni and discovered he was deceased.
Byrd then entered Andoni’s Hyundai and fled the scene of the crash.
Byrd then traveled to Engineer Sales located at 2500 25th Avenue North, St. Petersburg and abandoned the vehicle. Hours later, the father of Andoni located the abandoned vehicle via GPS tracking of the vehicle and contacted law enforcement regarding his missing son.
On Friday, September 21st, at approximately 12:30 PM, an FDOT Road Ranger located Byrd’s abandoned F-150 and discovered Andoni’s remains. FHP continues to investigate this incident, has identified Dana Byrd as a suspect in this case and seeks the public’s assistance in locating Byrd.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or the whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers or the FHP by calling 813-558-1800 or *FHP.