VERO BEACH — An 81-year-old man using a wheelchair died Monday after a car struck him along a roadside in Vero Beach, authorities said.
The incident happened shortly before 7 a.m. on 30th Street, just off U.S. 1 and south of Aviation Boulevard, according to Vero Beach police spokesperson Officer Kelsea Callahan.
The man, whose name was not released, was traveling along the edge of the two-lane road — which lacks sidewalks — when an eastbound BMW sedan hit him, Callahan said.
The 19-year-old driver, also from Vero Beach and unidentified by police, remained at the scene until officers arrived.
Investigators found no signs of impairment, she added. A traffic homicide probe is underway to decide if charges will be filed against the driver.
The vehicle was impounded and taken to police headquarters for a forensic examination to assess its condition during the crash, Callahan said.
The victim was rushed to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Callahan noted that the man routinely wheeled through that area each morning, as he resided nearby.
