POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 22-year-old man has been charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident after striking a cyclist who apparently threw himself in front of the car.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says 32-year-old Keith Michael Richardson was found dead alongside a road Saturday evening in Lake Wales, about 55 miles south of Orlando. His damaged bicycle was located nearby.
According to investigators, Richardson had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and was drinking shortly before the crash. He called and told his mother he was going to throw himself in front of a car on his bicycle.
Homicide detectives say West did not realize he had struck a person and would not have been charged if he had stayed at the scene.
Richardson attempted to get hit by two cars on State Road 60, but the drivers swerved and missed him, officials said. Richardson was eventually struck by a Chrysler 300 driven by Vonterrious West. West left the scene of the crash, according to deputies.