ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg investigators are hoping new video will help them make an arrest in a fatal hit and run case that happened a year ago, in the 1500 block of 34th St. N.
The victim 56-year-old Philip Anderson and his girlfriend Tricia Best were riding his motorcycle around 8:20 p.m. when a silver sedan, traveling in the same direction, swiped them. According to detectives, the impact threw them off of the motorcycle. Best survived, and Anderson died.
“The past year has been the hardest of my life,” said Anderson’s daughter Breanna McNeal.
McNeal was home in Fort Myers, sleeping when police called her the night of the crash.
“I will never forget,” she said. “It was around midnight. I wasn’t going to answer the phone, but I saw that it was a 727 number, and I thought it could be about my dad.”
She said her world shattered when they told her “there had been a crash and my dad was dead.” This was just a few months before her wedding.
“I had to get married without my dad walking me down the aisle.”
The pain is worse knowing the person responsible is still free.
“I consider it murder. [They] didn’t stop,” she said. “[They] took my dad’s life and I feel like that person needs to be held responsible.”
Investigators were able to track down the silver sedan involved in the crash. They need the public's help identifying the person or people who were inside the car at the time of the crash.
“It’s very frustrating,” said McNeal, after a long pause. “I just want justice.”
St. Pete PD released new video from the night of the crash. The video shows a dark-colored SUV or van in the area of the crash around the same time. Investigators believe the person or people in the vehicle might have seen something, or have vital information that could help with their investigation.
McNeal is pleading with anyone with information to come forward.
“Please help give our family closure that’s all we really want,” she said.
If you have any information please call St. Pete Police at (727)893-7780. reference report 2020-016224.
