Kelvin Ma / Tribune photo

By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY
The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - Police have arrested a driver in connection a hit-and-run crash that left a man and a small child dead.

Armando Lopez-Canada, 26, of Clearwater, has been taken into custoday. He is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death.

Police identified the victims as Ronald Bishop Jr., 42, of Largo, and his nephew, Joshua Angel Morrow, 3, of Largo.

The pair died nearly instantly when struck by a sport utility vehicle while trying to cross the busy thoroughfare about 6:50 p.m., Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

A witness to the crash followed the SUV and got its license plate number, she said.

Clearwater police stopped the vehicle on State Road 60 west of Belcher Road.

“If they had stopped, it would have been a tragic accident,” McElroy said. Instead, police were investigating the deaths as a crime because the driver fled.

McElroy said early reports indicated the uncle was driving his nephew when his truck broke down near Rocky Point Drive.

He parked the truck in a hotel parking lot and called his half-brother for help.

While they waited, the pair crossed the six-lane Courtney Campbell to get a bite to eat, McElroy said. They were crossing near Bay Harbor Drive to return to their truck when they were hit by the SUV.

The pair started to cross the road after a motorist in a PT Cruiser slowed to let them pass. But the driver of the SUV did not stop and hit both of them, McElroy said.

The pair were trying to cross the Campbell at a section of the road where there is a constant green light for traffic headed west.

The SUV’s driver paused but then continued driving west across the parkway. The driver of the PT Cruiser followed the SUV and got the license plate number and pass it along to police.

Back at the crash scene, a frantic effort to save the boy and the man played out, McElroy said.

A tree trimmer, who came upon the scene shortly after the man and boy were hit, blocked traffic. Other bystanders and motorists, including a doctor, stopped to try to revive the uncle and nephew. The man’s half-brother also arrived.

The crash forced the closing of westbound traffic lanes.

Information from News Channel 8 was used in this report. Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616.

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