Bicyclist, 34, Dies After Clearwater Hit-And-Run

CLEARWATER, FL — A 34-year-old Dunedin man who was critically injured in a May 30 hit-and-run crash in Clearwater has died from his injuries. According the Clearwater Police Department, Joseph Samson died at Bayfront Health the morning of June 6.

The accident that caused Samson’s injuries occurred around 9:43 p.m. May 30. Police say a pickup truck was heading eastbound on Cleveland Street as Samson was riding between Betty Lane and Fredrica Avenue. The driver hit Samson and then took off from the scene, the police department said.

Get the Clearwater Patch newsletter and alerts in your inbox.

Benito Espanol-Cruz, 34, of Largo was identified as a possible suspect in the hit-and-run after police spoke with witnesses and pulled surveillance video from the scene, the agency reported. Police say Espanol-Cruz “admitted he was the driver of the 1999 Ford F150 that struck Joseph Samson.”

The truck was found at Espanol-Cruz’s place of employment, the agency said. It was covered and concealed behind other work vehicle, the email added.

Police also say Espanol-Cruz admitted “he had been consuming alcohol before the crash.”

Espanol-Cruz was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a count of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury. He was later released in lieu of $5,000 bond, jail records indicate.

Whether Espanol-Cruz will face upgraded charges has been turned over to the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office to decide, the police department reported Tuesday, June 6.

Keep up with what’s happening by following Clearwater Patch on Facebook.

Booking photo courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department