INDIANAPOLIS — Police said a hit-and-run crash left one man dead on Indy’s near east side just outside of downtown early Monday.
IMPD officers responded to the 1200 block of East Washington Street and Southeastern around 5:30 a.m. and found a person injured on the ground.
The pedestrian was transported to a nearby hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
Car parts and clothing littered the block of East Washington where the crash took place.
Police are still investigating what led to the fatal collision, but said the deadly crash can serve an important safety lesson to drivers and pedestrians.
“We encourage anybody involved in any accident to stop and make sure everyone is okay,” said IMPD Officer Chris Williams.
Police said because the suspect fled, they hope to use the debris left on scene to identify the type of car involved in the crash and hopefully hold that driver accountable.
“The person who was struck has family and they want answers and to know what happened,” said Williams.
The area of East Washington where the crash took place is lined with businesses and there is a sidewalk on both sides of the street.
Police admit it’s not clear if the victim was trying to cross the street when he was hit, but they say a lot of accidents are caused by distracted driving and urge everyone to remain focused behind the wheel.
“We’re not sure the exact circumstances of what happened this morning, but we encourage drivers to eliminate any distractions,” said Williams.
Last year, IMPD investigated a record number of fatal hit-and-run crimes.
Police once again remind drivers they have a moral and legal obligation to remain on scene following any fatal crash.
“If it were you, you would want somebody to do that for you, so please stop,” said Williams.
So far, no arrests have been made in the case.
Anyone with information is still asked to contact either IMPD or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
Jesse Wells contributed to this report.
