Sadly, he never made it home.
Rivas was struck and killed early Thursday morning, and Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide investigators are now asking for the public’s help in solving this hit and run fatality investigation.
The incident happened around 6 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27. The victim was found lying on the road by Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies who spotted the body while patrolling the area near the northbound lane on U.S. 27 and Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport.
That’s an intersection with several busy shopping plazas nearby, including Ridgeview Plaza.
What’s known so far in the investigation is that Rivas, who lives at Piano Lane in Davenport, was walking home from work Thursday morning. Deputies believe he was on the east shoulder of the northbound lane of U.S. 27 when he was struck. The impact of the collision may have been so strong, deputies say, that Rivas was likely carried a great distance from where the vehicle inititally hit him.
Rivas died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
The person driving the vehicle that struck Rivas never stopped, investigators said, and the sheriff’s office now believes the unidentified driver was operating a commercial vehicle, possibly a Mack or Oshkosh-type truck.
Investigators hope they can identify the vehicle because it is missing amber flush mounted lights that are oval in shape, possibly from the front or right side of the vehicle, which got damaged in the collision.
The sheriff’s office released photos to the media of the type of lights that were found at the scene.
Anyone who may have been traveling in that area of U.S. 27 in Davenport around 5-6 a.m. Thursday morning, at the time of the crash, or who may have any information about this investigation, is urged to call Traffic Homicide Sergeant Greg Goreck at 863-287-2562 or 863-298-6200.
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A Mach Truck was spotted in Winter Park with damage on the left front side of the truck…if seen again, PLEASE, someone contact the police. My sister was contact through facebook about the truck. This is the same type of vehicle that they are looking for…