Florida Highway Patrol troopers have tracked down the driver and the vehicle involved in a deadly hit-and-run that claimed the life of a truck driver on Interstate 75 early Monday morning.
The arrest comes after a day-long search for a black Ford Mustang that fled the scene near mile marker 220 in Manatee County.
The crash occurred around 6:28 AM when the Mustang swerved from the left lane into the center lane, clipping a Chevy Trailblazer. The SUV was pushed into the path of a semi-tractor-trailer, causing the truck to veer across the highway and flip onto its roof.
The 34-year-old semi driver from New Smyrna was killed, while the 63-year-old driver of the Trailblazer suffered minor injuries.
Investigators say the Mustang stopped briefly after the collision before speeding away. On Monday afternoon, troopers successfully located and impounded the vehicle, identified as a 2022 Ford Mustang.
The driver has been identified as 18-year-old Jonathan Matos Morales of Cocoa, Florida. Authorities arrested Matos Morales and booked him into the Manatee County Jail.
He faces felony charges of Vehicular Homicide and Leaving a Crash Scene Involving Death.
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