Wheelchair user struck in Broward hit-and-run wants driver held accountable: "Do the right thing, come forward"

Authorities are searching for the driver of a van who struck a man in a wheelchair in Dania Beach and fled the scene, leaving the victim injured and his wheelchair damaged.

Surveillance video captured the collision as Jorge Gonzalez was crossing the street.

"What was going through my mind was that I was going to die," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, who uses a wheelchair after losing both legs due to complications from diabetes, said the driver briefly stopped after the crash to ask if he was OK before driving away.

"Asking me, 'Am I all right?' and leaving. If you would've asked me if I was all right and called an ambulance, it wouldn't be so bad for him," Gonzalez said.

While Gonzalez suffered soreness from the collision, he avoided more serious injuries. However, the wheelchair he has owned for only two months sustained damage.

"The wheels are doing the click-clack, click-clack sound. That means sooner or later they are going to come off," he said.

Friends of Gonzalez have started an online fundraiser to help cover his medical bills and repairs.

Attorney David Hoffman, who represents Gonzalez, said he is working with the Broward Sheriff's Office to identify the driver.

"Do the right thing. Come forward," Hoffman said. "Face the music at the beginning, and it's not a big deal. It was probably a simple accident that turned into something a lot more major."

Beyond identifying the driver, Gonzalez is calling on city leaders to reevaluate the intersection where the crash occurred. He believes inadequate sidewalk access contributed to the incident and hopes improvements will prevent future collisions.

"Today it's me. Tomorrow it could be you or someone else," Gonzalez said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.