TAUNTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Police are turning to the public for help tracking down a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed an elderly pedestrian in Taunton on Wednesday night.
Officers responding to a report of a pedestrian crash in the area of 305 Middleboro Ave. around 6 p.m. found 85-year-old Jose Ferreira in the street suffering from life-threatening injuries, according to Taunton police.
Ferreira was taken to Morton Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Neighbors told 7NEWS that Ferreira was killed in a crosswalk directly across the street from where he lived for decades.
Convenience store owner Piyush Patel said Ferreira would stop by his business several times a week.
“I knew Mr. Ferreira … He spent time with me over here,” he said. “He’s a nice guy.”
Investigators believe the suspect was driving a gray or dark-colored SUV that fled westbound on Middleboro Avenue.
“It amazes us sometimes that people don’t stay with car accidents but it does happen, unfortunately,” Taunton Police Lt. Eric Nichols said. “We are hoping that the person that did this would come down to the police station and talk to us.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Taunton police at 508-824-7522.
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