Palm Bay, FL (May 2, 2025) – A hit-and-run crash involving a semi-truck on Interstate 95 Friday morning left two men dead and led to a multi-county search for the driver, who was later taken into custody.
Accident Details: The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the crash occurred around 9:50 a.m. near mile marker 172 on southbound I-95, just north of Malabar Road in Palm Bay. Two surveyors, a 22-year-old man from Enterprise and a 41-year-old man from Deltona, were walking along the right grassy shoulder of the interstate when a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia struck them.
Before hitting the men, the semi-truck reportedly struck a parked pickup truck on the shoulder. A passenger inside that vehicle was unharmed and remained at the scene. Tragically, both surveyors were pronounced dead at the scene.
Instead of stopping, the driver of the semi-truck fled. The vehicle was later located by law enforcement nearly 130 miles south on I-95 near mile marker 45 in Palm Beach County. The driver, 36-year-old Hassan Abdirahman Sheikh Ali of Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested and now faces two counts of leaving the scene of a crash causing death. The investigation remains ongoing.
Investigation and Legal Considerations: In any fatal crash, it’s critical to understand what happened. Investigators will focus on the truck’s movement before the crash, the driver’s actions, the driver’s adherence to federal regulations regarding hours, and whether appropriate safety measures were in place for the surveyors.
They’ll likely examine roadway evidence, video footage, GPS tracking from the semi-truck, driver logs, and statements from witnesses or other motorists. These findings will be key to understanding how the crash occurred and who is responsible.
Depending on what the investigation reveals, the families of both victims may be able to file wrongful death claims to seek justice and accountability under civil law.
I offer my deepest condolences to the families, coworkers, and loved ones of the two men who lost their lives in this accident.
Source: Click Orlando