1 dead, hit-and-run driver charged after causing multiple crashes in Tampa: Deputies
TAMPA, Fla. - A 39-year-old man was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide after causing multiple crashes early Sunday morning, according to deputies.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says they arrested Jenri Fuentes Rodriguez after he caused a fatal crash at Waters Avenue and Himes Avenue.
Around 6 a.m., HCSO says they received a 911 call about a crash. According to investigators, Rodriguez collided with an occupied vehicle and fled the scene while leaving a nightclub.
After leaving the scene of that crash, he pulled into a McDonald's parking lot and hit another vehicle, according to officials.
READ: VIDEO: Man charged with DUI after fleeing troopers, crashing into guard rail in Pinellas County
Authorities say he also fled that scene.
Rodriguez sped down Waters Avenue and ran a red light, causing his car and another vehicle to collide and flip multiple times, according to deputies.
Courtesy: The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
The sheriff's office says the victim and her vehicle were forced into a wooden utility pole. When deputies arrived at the scene of the crash, they say 59-year-old Ann Marie Rutkowski was dead.
Rodriguez was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and, once he was discharged, taken to the Orient Road Jail, according to officials.
"My prayers are with this woman's family, as their loved one's life was taken because of the reckless actions of another individual," said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a statement. "Our detectives are examining every piece of evidence in this investigation to ensure that this man is held fully accountable for his actions."
More charges may be forthcoming, and the investigation is still open, according to the sheriff's office.
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