Miami Beach Police are searching for a man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian early Tuesday.
An officer spotted a silver BMW traveling southbound at an extremely high rate of speed on 15th Street around 3 a.m.
By the time the officer made a u-turn, the BMW had struck a male pedestrian. The impact sent the pedestrian's body flying several blocks away. The pedestrian died at the scene.
Samuel Simpson was sitting outside his Miami Beach hotel at the time. He told NBC 6 he saw the speeding car and heard the crash.
"I just saw a car speeding real fast, going at least like 100 miles an hour, then I just heard a loud 'boom' at the corner," Simpson said. "But I didn't even see that a person got hit. I thought it hit a car."
Sources told NBC 6 three females and one male bailed and tried to run from the BMW. Police have detained the three females for questioning, but are still looking for the male.
"Initially he was wearing all black, black pants and black shirt. He's a black male with short cropped hair. A witness actually watched him removing that black shirt to wipe blood from his face," police said.
The victim has been identified as 27-year-old Andrew James Hamilton. Police said he was visiting from the United Kingdom.
"You don't ever want to go on vacation and tragedy happens," Simpson said.
Tourists and residents in the area were shaken up by the news.
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"With all the fast race cars that come up and down here, the excessive driving, could be alcohol too. It's scary now, " tourist Tony Gonzalez told NBC 6.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
