A 55-year-old St. Petersburg man was struck and killed when he attempted to cross Ulmerton Road near 62nd Street late Saturday night, running from the scene of a vehicle burglary, authorities said.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Cpl. Chris Platt was on patrol when he discovered the body of a man lying in the eastbound lanes of Ulmerton Road just east of 62nd Street in unincorporated Largo.
The man, later identified as 55-year-old Donald Sands, was unconscious. The news release said it was clear Sands had been struck by a vehicle.
Platt rendered aid and called for fire rescue assistance.
Sands was pronounced dead when fire rescue personnel arrived.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, shortly after 11:30 p.m. Saturday a 2017 Cadillac CT6 driven by Chad Ryan McLaughlin, 36, of Tampa, was traveling east on Ulmerton Road in the outside lane just east of 62nd Street North.
Deputies said McLaughlin told them he made a U-turn on Ulmerton after hitting something. He returned to the scene talked to sheriff's deputies.
At the time of the accident, Sands was crossing from north to south on Ulmerton Road and entered the path of the Cadillac, state troopers said. He was hit and killed.
Deputies said when McLaughlin returned to the scene, there was substantial damage to the passenger side of the 2017 Cadillac.
Pinellas deputies said while waiting for state troopers to arrive to take charge of the pedestrian accident they learned Sands was a suspect in a vehicle burglary in the Leisure World Mobile Home Park at 6100 138th Ave. in Clearwater.
Shelby Slocumb, 42, the victim of the burglary, told deputies he saw Sands earlier inside his 2001 GMC Yukon. Slocumb chased Sands on foot until he lost sight of him near the entrance to the mobile home park.
Slocumb returned home to get his vehicle and made contact with deputies at the accident scene. The news release said Sands matched the description of the auto burglar described by slocumb, including a red cup that had change taken from the victim's vehicle.
