Driver Sought After Hit-and-Run Crash Sends Car Into Group of Teens Near UCF, Injuring Eight

Florida Highway Patrol troopers are searching for the driver of a 2007 Honda Fit who fled on foot after a chain-reaction crash Friday night on University Boulevard near the University of Central Florida that sent a car onto a sidewalk and into a group of teenagers. Eight teens, ages 15 to 18, were hurt, and one was taken to the hospital as a trauma alert.

The crash happened around 7:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, on University Boulevard near Technological Avenue in east Orange County, less than a mile from UCF's main campus, according to FHP. As of the latest updates from troopers Saturday, the Fit's driver had not been identified or arrested.

How the crash unfolded

According to FHP, the Honda Fit rear-ended a 2020 Honda Civic, and the impact pushed the Civic off the road and into a group of teenagers who were on the sidewalk near the roadway. A 2025 Honda Civic was also forced off the roadway, and the Fit struck the side of that car before its driver took off, WFTV reported, citing troopers.

The three vehicles involved, as described by FHP and reported by WKMG and WFTV:

WFTV identified the two Civic drivers as a 21-year-old Bradenton man and an 18-year-old Palm Bay woman. Neither was hurt, and both remained at the scene.

The injured teens

All eight people hurt were teenagers walking or standing on the sidewalk: four 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, one 17-year-old and one 18-year-old, according to FHP. Their names have not been released.

Seven of the eight were taken to hospitals, WFTV reported. One went to Orlando Regional Medical Center as a trauma alert, two others were also taken to ORMC, and four were taken to other area hospitals. The eighth declined transport. FOX 13 reported that Orange County Fire Rescue took three of the teens to ORMC and that four others went to the hospital by other means.

Officials have not released updated conditions for the injured. Early reports varied: one FOX 13 headline described a pedestrian as critically injured while the story itself said conditions were not immediately available, and initial counts ranged from four to seven to eight victims before FHP settled on eight.

The abandoned car

The driver did not get far in the Fit. Witnesses gave troopers a license plate number, and investigators found the car abandoned in a hotel parking lot on Technological Avenue, according to FHP. The driver had already left on foot. Troopers towed the Fit for evidence processing, WFTV reported.

FHP has not released a description of the driver. FOX 13 reported that investigators were expected to review surveillance video from nearby businesses and shopping centers, and the agency is treating the case as an active criminal investigation.

The scene on University Boulevard

The debris field stretched about 100 yards, FOX 13 reported, and one of the damaged Civics came to rest on the sidewalk near damaged poles and handrails. By Saturday, a metal pole at the scene was still bent nearly in half and pulled from the ground, WKMG reported. The roadway was temporarily closed while troopers investigated and tow crews cleared the vehicles, and it has since reopened.

Orange County Fire Rescue and the Orange County Sheriff's Office also responded, according to WFTV.

Simon Jiaclone, a UCF student who spoke to WKMG near the scene, said the crash hit close to home and called it "heartbreaking that that stuff happens." He urged the driver to turn themselves in, noting that the victims were kids.

What Florida law says about leaving the scene

Under section 316.027 of the Florida Statutes, any driver involved in a crash that results in injury must immediately stop at or as close as possible to the scene and remain there until meeting the legal duties to give information and render aid. The penalty depends on how badly people were hurt:

• Leaving the scene of a crash involving injury is a third-degree felony.
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury is a second-degree felony.
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving death is a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of four years in prison.

A driver convicted under any of those provisions also faces revocation of their driver's license for at least three years, and the court must order restitution to victims unless it finds clear and compelling reasons not to, according to the statute. No charges have been announced in Friday's crash, and the specific charge would depend on the extent of the teens' injuries and the investigation's findings.

A separate statute, section 316.062, spells out what drivers who stay are required to do. A driver in a crash that injures someone must give their name, address and vehicle registration number, show a driver's license if asked, and provide the injured person reasonable assistance, including carrying or arranging transport to a doctor or hospital when treatment appears necessary or is requested.

A persistent problem on Florida roads

Hit-and-run crashes are common in Florida. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported in February 2025 that there were 97,519 hit-and-run crashes statewide the previous year, the large majority of them, 81,205, involving only property damage. The agency has said pedestrians and bicyclists account for the highest number of hit-and-run fatalities.

Each February, FLHSMV and FHP run a "Stay at the Scene" campaign urging drivers to remain after a crash. The agency's 2025 release identified fear of consequences, poor visibility and a driver's own condition, such as impairment or distraction, as common reasons drivers flee. Investigators have not said why the Fit's driver ran on Friday night.

What's next

FHP is asking anyone with information about the crash or the driver of the Honda Fit to call troopers at *347 (*FHP) from a mobile phone, or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477), where tipsters can remain anonymous. No arrest had been announced as of Sunday morning.