OCALA, FL (352today.com) – UPDATE: The Ocala Police Department (OPD) has released the identity of a driver who hit and killed a pedestrian and then took off and crashed a short distance later into a police cruiser injuring an officer.

The driver has been identified as 44-year-old Kristopher Kent Winningham.

OPD says the pedestrian Winningham killed when he hit him at the scene of an unrelated crash that OPD was investigating is 26-year-old James Thompson Jr.

From there, OPD says Winningham took off and collided head-on with another police cruiser injuring an officer inside. The injured officer has not been identified. OPD says he is in the hospital and is currently in serious condition. Officers say Willingham was injured in the second crash and died at the hospital from his injuries.

OPD says officers were investigating a crash when a driver plowed into the scene killing a pedestrian. They say the driver took off. Courtesy: OPD
OPD says the second crash happened when the hit-and-run driver collided with a police patrol car, seriously injuring the officer inside. Courtesy: OPD

ORIGINAL: Ocala Police Department (OPD) officers are still trying to piece together the events that led up to a deadly hit and run on Saturday night.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, OPD officers were working a crash scene at the intersection of S Pine Ave. and SW 17th St. A post on OPD’s Facebook page says an oncoming driver, traveling eastbound on Southwest 17 Street sped through the intersection, hitting a parked patrol vehicle and a pedestrian. The pedestrian died at the hospital.

The post says, “The driver fled the scene, prompting a police pursuit along SE Maricamp Rd.”  They say one of their officers was parked in the grass median preparing to deploy stop sticks in the 3000 block of Southeast Maricamp Road, near First Baptist of Ocala. That’s when they say the collided head-on with the officer’s patrol car. The officer was inside the car at the time of impact. OPD says the hit-and-run driver appeared to intentionally slam into the patrol car.

OPD says their officer sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital. The say the hit-and-run driver was also taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

“This is an absolute tragedy. Our hearts break for a family who is now mourning the loss of a loved one, all because of one person’s reckless actions that also endangered the lives of our officers. Please keep our injured officer in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” said OPD.