ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after the body of a hit-and-run crash victim was found in a ditch near Colonial Drive Wednesday morning.
Troopers said Jorge Arias, 49, likely was hit while riding his bicycle to work between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m. His body was found about 9:50 a.m. on the south side of Colonial Drive, east of Berkeley Street.
The man who found his body didn't want to be identified, but said he found Arias while walking to his mailbox.
"Decided to check my mail and the first thing I see is a dead body about 20 feet away from the mailboxes," the man said.
The investigation is in the early stages, but a preliminary report indicates that Arias was riding his bike eastbound along Colonial Drive when a vehicle traveling in the same direction the back end of his bike.
He was ejected from his bicycle and landed in a water-filled ditch. The driver of the vehicle left the scene, troopers said.
"The scene, we did see that there were some tire tracks there, but not sure if it's from this case or from another case," Lt. Kim Montes with FHP said. "We did find a part on scene that belonged to a Honda. Not sure if it's from this case or something else."
The grille of the car that was found at the scene is now at a dealership as investigators work to find out what kind of car it fits.
Montes said Arias was found wearing a traffic safety vest.